More than meets the eye
by microcurie
Summary: Three attorneys are murdered and Don and Terry are called in to help. However, there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. I just want to have a little fun.**

Hope you guys enjoy this… It's not very good but I wanted to post it to see what kind of response I could get.

"Three defense attorneys dead and no leads." Agent Terry Lake whispered to herself as she rubbed her tired eyes with a stiff hand and swiveled her chair round to face the computer, "How many more people does this guy have to kill before we get any closer?"

The door slammed behind her and she jumped. Terry spun in her chair and drew herself up only to come face to face with her disheveled and, if possible, even more tired-looking partner. Snapping her head back almost automatically, she coloured slightly as Don Eppes tried to put the mug of coffee on her desk without having to step over the mounds of paper that lay around the table.

Suddenly recognizing that he was perhaps standing a little too close to the petite woman before him, Don tried to shuffle backwards without knocking anything over.

"Thanks Don." She took the mug from him quickly before he tripped over her feet and sent hot coffee over her clean, white work-shirt. Terry smiled tiredly and took a grateful sip, "I really needed that."

The dark-haired man nodded understandingly and put a hand on her shoulder, "Show me what you've found so far," he said, gently pushing her back into her chair and letting her turn around to face the computer once more, "Maybe if we go over the scene together we might pick something up."

Terry nodded and clicked the window that she was browsing through enlarge it. "This is a list of the people who entered and exited the building between 12 pm and 6 pm on Saturday, the fifth of November. And this," she clicked another window, "is the list of people who were in the Jacob Street Café between 9 am and 3 pm the next day. So far I have nothing in common. There are at least a hundred people in each list and there is no one who was in both locations in those time frames that we narrowed down to."

Don sighed in frustration and bent down to get a closer look of the screen. He knew this kind of case… His many years of experience working for the FBI had taught him that there were some cases where he just had to look deeper instead of just looking for leads on the surface. The three attorneys who had been murdered were not personally connected and he and Terry could not find any commonalities amongst their clients. They were all killed the same way: a single gunshot to the right temple. David had been posted to Washington for the last three days trying to pick up more leads, as the three attorneys who had been murdered had all been educated in Washington. So far David had found nothing. It was so irritating. He and Terry had been working on the case for three days and they had turned up nothing either.

"Why would someone target these defense attorneys and then go through to so much trouble to kill them in this way?" Terry whispered, to no one in particular, "This case is just crazy. How did we even link the three homicides?"

"We didn't." Don said, with an effort, as he stifled a yawn, "The LAPD did. We're just picking up where they left off. It's just that the three victims were all shot in the same manner. That's the only link they've got."

It was with a great effort that Terry did not send the papers flying behind her chair; pick up her coat and head for home. The case had exhausted her, and she was frustrated beyond measure. "Who would do something like this?" she asked herself aloud, for what seemed the hundredth time that evening.

"I just wish…" Don ran a hand through his tousled hair and sighed again, "I just wish that there were some damn numbers circling around this thing. Then at least I have an excuse to call Charlie and make him help me."

Terry looked faintly amused as she bent over and picked up some files from underneath her desk. "You know Charlie loves to help you out whenever he can. You wouldn't even have to ask nicely and he'd be here scribbling on the whiteboards."

Suddenly realizing that his hand was still squeezing his partner's shoulder, Don pulled away slowly and grinned, "I know that. But he's been really busy these last few days and I don't want to disturb him. You know how he gets."

Terry smiled and looked up at the clock. "Great." She rubbed her eyes again, feeling a little strange after losing Don's touch on her shoulder, "It's almost two in the morning. We should be home and asleep."

"Good point." Don stretched and stepped over to his desk, "Let's get going. Maybe this will make a lot more sense in the morning."

&&&&

Terry took a cold shower the minute she entered her apartment. She was exhausted and all she needed was a very large bar of milk chocolate to make her feel better. Stepping out of the shower, she picked up her fluffy white towel before heading out to get dressed.

There was a funny shuffling noise coming from the front door and Terry froze. She had buttoned only the first half of buttons on the over-sized shirt that she wore to sleep. Snatching her gun from the bedside table, Terry headed away from the bedroom and out to where the noise was coming from. Almost as suddenly as it had come, the noise disappeared.

"Who's there?" she called out, the FBI agent inside reminding her to remain calm. There was no answer.

Perhaps she was just being paranoid.

Terry lowered her gun and stepped forward. There was a small, white envelope sitting in front of the door, as if someone had just slipped it through the dusty crack. Her heart beat sped up suddenly as Terry picked up a bunch of tissues and knelt down in front of the door to pick up the envelope. Half-knowing that no one would be there, she peered through the peep-hole only to see an empty, dimly lit corridor.

Terry sat down on the couch and carefully opened the envelope with the tissues in her hand, trying not to leave any fingerprints. There was a carefully folded piece of paper inside, and on one corner were the words: _Agent Lake_.

Terry's heartbeat sped up again. She unfolded the paper and held it up to the light.

_We are watching._

&&&&

It was eight in the morning, and Don was feeling slightly refreshed. He had made up his mind before he fell asleep that he would contact his younger brother to ask for help on the case. A new pair of eyes on a frustrating case usually led to more leads. _And more leads is exactly what we need right now_, thought Don as he strolled over to Charlie's office.

He knocked on the door, wondering if Charlie was busy. If he _was_ busy, like working on something mathematical that Don couldn't possibly understand, then there was no point trying to talk to him. To his surprise, however, he hadn't even knocked three times before a curly haired young man opened the door and grinned at him.

"I was wondering when you might actually try to call me. I've been trying to reach you for the last two days." Charlie said. Don grasped his brother's arm affectionately and stepped into the room.

Charlie went on, putting a bunch of test papers aside so that Don could sit on his chair. "I called your apartment several times last night but you weren't in. It got me quite worried actually…"

"Sorry about that." Don apologized sheepishly. "I was at work. Terry and I were trying to uncover some leads… We didn't leave the office till two o' clock this morning."

"Wow." Charlie brushed some hair out of his eyes, "This must be a really tough case… Wait a minute. Both of you left work at two in the morning and went home _alone_? There's some psycho on the streets killing wealthy attorneys and what if … what if he starts targeting FBI agents? Statistically speaking, it's possible that…"

Don cut him off quickly before he launched into 'time-to-confuse-my-older-brother' language, "It's alright, Charlie. We both have guns and a lot of experience with psychopaths. And somehow I doubt anyone's going to attack Terry or me for our money."

"Yeah but… but Terry's small." Charlie insisted, "And you are just crazy. Both of you need to be careful."

"Terry can take care of herself," Don assured him. "She has a gun, and can throw a man twice her size over her shoulder. Trust me, I know. And don't worry. We are taking care of ourselves."

"Right." Charlie crossed his arms good-humouredly and glanced at his brother, "So, what do you need help with? I think I know you well enough to realize that you're not here just to chitchat."

Don grinned and pulled out the folder that he had kept with a copy of the information that they had about the case. "The LAPD contacted us about the deaths of those three attorneys. They linked the murders because of the way the victims were killed, but we have no leads and no connections between them. The only link is that they were all defense attorneys, and were all educated in the same city at some point in their lives. Well, to tell the truth, we need a fresh pair of eyes on this case and we thought maybe you could help us."

Charlie reached out and took the folder, "I have a lecture in half an hour… But I'll take a look at what you've got and call you after, alright? I'll see what I can figure out."

"Thanks buddy."

&&&&

Terry felt silly that the letter worried her so much. Sure, it could be some dumb joke that a kid in the apartment chose to play on her when he figured out that she was an FBI agent. Some people don't like the people who work for the government. So why did it worry her so much?

Alright, so she and Don were working on a big case involving three murders and no leads.

They had no idea why these three people had been murdered.

But… there was no reason for anyone to start threatening her.

Terry parked her car and closed her eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, she told herself that maybe this time, her gut feeling was wrong. She needed to focus on the case or else more people will end up dead.

_Alright. Just focus and you can crack this one. Then it will be all over._

Should she tell Don about the letter? He _was_ her partner and her friend and he would want to know. But then again, he would worry more than she already was, and that wouldn't help the investigation. No. It was better that he didn't know.

It might help if she told Merrick though…

_Quit worrying. It's just some stupid prank._

But deep inside, Terry knew that something was up, and she would need to be careful. Her instincts were going haywire, telling her that there was more to this case than just three seemingly unrelated homicides.

And her instincts were rarely wrong.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

Here's the next chapter! I promise the plot_ will move_ after this!

"Eppes."

"Hey Don," Charlie's voice punched through the speaker as a welcome distraction from the barking, ringing and shuffling that were always a part of Don's office, "Sorry I called so late… but there was this assignment I handed out a few weeks ago that some students were confused with and I've just been clarifying the same thing over and over for the last two hours… Anyway, I've looked at the file that you gave me this morning, and so far, I can't see anything else that might help your investigation. I'm taking it home tonight just to see if there's anything else to look at… but well, I can't really see anything that would lead you to the killers."

Don had to bite his lip to stop himself from sighing in frustration. It wasn't his fault that there weren't any leads on the case, but he still felt frustrated that even Charlie couldn't dig anything up. "That's alright." Don clicked the pen in his hand repeatedly with newly-found irritated energy, "Thanks for your help anyway."

"That's alright." There was a pause, "Look, I know you're really busy with this case… what with the high profile murders and all the public pressure to catch these guys. But well, Dad hasn't seen you in a while and he misses you around. I mean, he's tried to call you too but you're never at home. Anyway, Dad's making spaghetti tonight and he's wondering if you would be able to turn up to see him for just an hour or so…. Around seven?"

There was so much undisguised hope in Charlie's voice that Don couldn't help but feel bad that he hadn't contacted his father in more than a week. The case… well it was taking its toll on everyone. "Yeah… sure thing, Charlie. But I can't stay long. I promise I'll turn up by seven thirty though."

"Great!" his brother's enthusiasm was infectious, "Larry is coming over. I can ask him if he has anything to offer to your case… Oh, and by the way, Dad said for you to bring Terry. God knows she would need a break too after working for you… you slave driver."

Don chuckled, "I'll see if she can make it." He wondered if his father had any romantic intentions for him by bring Terry along for dinner. Alan Eppes' matchmaking efforts, although accepted by his sons as part of their father's ploy to receive grandchildren, weren't always welcome.

"All right. See you then!"

Don hung up and glanced over at his partner, who was scribbling something hastily on a piece of note paper. Terry paused and rubbed her eyes tiredly as she re-read what she had written. Don's eyebrows contracted a little with concern as he observed her stiff movements. Evidently she hadn't had a good night's sleep when she got home last night. _Or rather, this morning_.

Don looked up. The clock on the wall read five pm. He had about two hours to finish reading through the reports that he had received from David, who was still chasing empty leads in Washington. That should be enough. Then he could go to Charlie's place and talk over what he had found so far. If there was someone who could make something out of nothing in this case… that person would have to be Charlie.

Don looked over at Terry once again. He knew she was tough, but no one could go on without sleep for much longer than she was. It was physically impossible. But there was just something about Terry today… something that made her seem just a little distracted. That was uncommon. Terry was always the most focused person on the team. But today… there was something that was bothering her.

Maybe dinner cooked by Alan Eppes would be just the right medicine.

"Hey Terry…" Don got up from his desk and headed over to where she sat, her face partly obscured by blonde hair that had fallen out of her hurried ponytail, "Anything new turn up?"

Terry jumped a little when he put a hand on her arm. He apologized quickly, but couldn't help feeling worried about how tired she looked. "Nothing seems to be coming, Don." She said finally, picking up another piece of note paper, as she turned around to face him, "Sorry."

"You know, you should really get some rest." Don peered into her eyes for a moment to examine whether or not he should be this concerned, "You look exhausted, Terry… How about you come over to Charlie's place for dinner tonight at seven thirty? I think you could do with a break."

Terry brushed the stray hairs away from her eyes restlessly and sighed, looking over the piles of paper that littered her desk, "I don't know, Don…"

"We can work on the case there." Don added hastily, assuring her that he still had his priorities sorted out. For some reason, Don felt as though he hadn't spent much time with his partner outside the office recently. And he missed that. After work, it wasn't uncommon for them to have some coffee at the diner nearby just to relax and go over what had happened that day. After all, he had known Terry since Academy days, and he didn't want their friendship to deteriorate just because of a case that made them both exhausted and irritable. "I gave a file to Charlie to read through this morning, with a copy of all the information we had on this case. Funnily enough, the file wasn't very thick… Anyway, if you come over and have a meal we can work through whatever we have with Charlie and Larry. It might be of help to have fresh eyes on this case."

After a short pause, Terry smiled slightly in spite of her tiredness. "All right."

Don counted receiving the weary smile from Terry as a small triumph.

&&&&

It was already seven o' clock and Charlie was beginning to feel almost as frustrated with the case as Don and Terry were. Was it possible that there was just no connection between the three attorneys who were killed other than the fact that they all worked in the same building? It was uncanny. Who would go to such lengths to infiltrate a heavily guarded building and murder three men in the space of a week?

Charlie paced for a few minutes, willing his mind to come up with something that might help his brother. He looked over the victims' information once more.

_James Well, forty-two- killed in his office at 12 pm (5th November) with a single gunshot wound to the right temple. Gun was a semi-automatic. _

_Henry Clear, forty five- killed in his office at 3pm (7th November) with a single gunshot wound to the right temple. Weapon used was a semi-automatic pistol._

_Andrew Sienna, forty three- killed in his office at 2 pm (11th November) with a single gunshot wound to the right temple. Weapon used was a semi-automatic._

He sat down and studied the pages in his hands. Over and over again, Charlie read the words, in Terry's neat handwriting: _No witnesses to the murder. Security cameras were tampered with. All members of security questioned and none have particular reason to kill any of the three victims. _

There was a knock at the door, and Charlie looked up from the papers. The door swung open.

"Hello there, Charles." Larry took off his coat and slung it over one of the chairs in the basement, "Your father told me that you wanted to speak to me about something before dinner?"

"Yeah… thanks for dropping by, Larry." Charlie got up quickly and gathered some papers that were lying on the table, "Don is in the middle of this really high profile case that doesn't seem to have any leads or indications of the killer's identity. I've been sorting through this mess and so far I agree with them that there is _nothing_ to work with… Anyway, I thought maybe you might be able to help. It doesn't have much to do with physics or anything… but you might just pick something up that we missed."

"Well, I'll see what I can do," Larry said, sitting down and taking some papers from Charlie, "You said this was a high profile case?" He inquired as he laid the pages in front of him to get a good view.

"Yes." Charlie picked up more of the pages that he had strewn amongst the unmarked test papers and research documents, "Three wealthy, well-known attorneys… all from the same firm although they didn't work directly with one another were murdered in their respective offices. Here."

Charlie handed the rest of the file to Larry and sat down opposite the socially-awkward physicist. He reached over the table to grab a mug of water, and taking a slow sip, proceeded to observe his friend flick through the same bits of information that he had looked over just minutes before.

"It's strange…" Charlie said, taking another mouthful of water, "But there just doesn't seem to be any mathematical link between the three victims even though the way they were killed is exactly the same. I was just starting to think that maybe…"

"Wait."

Larry had gone pale. He lay the victims' information down on the table in front of him and took a step back. Charlie got up and stepped around Larry's side to take a look at what he had found.

The pages showed the names of the victims and the accounts of the people who last saw them alive. Charlie knew that he had read through those papers over and over again, yet had found nothing. But Larry seemed to have realized something. His hands were shaking and his face had become an unnatural shade of white.

"Larry?" Charlie suddenly felt concerned, "Larry, are you alright?"

Larry ignored the question. "Call your brother, Charles. Tell him that there are going to be five more murders before this is all over."

&&&&

"You've been very quiet today, Terry." Don said, with his hands on the steering wheel. They were on the way to Charlie's house, with hope that they would get a little further in their investigations once the evening was over. "Are you feeling alright?"

His partner looked over at him questioningly, knowing him well enough to realize that he would be satisfied easily with an answer. He wanted to know what was going on. Her pulse rate sped up involuntarily as she contemplated whether or not to tell him about the note.

"I'm just really tired…" Terry answered truthfully, rubbing her eyes for the twentieth time that day. "I didn't get the best sleep last night, you know."

There was a pause. Ahead, the green light came on and Don put his foot on the accelerator. Terry leaned back against the seat.

"Is there… something bothering you? Other than the case I mean." Don pressed on, knowing that there had to be something else that was making her seem more detached.

Terry was silent. The letter that was slipped under her door was now sitting on Merrick's desk. She had told him about her suspicions that the letter was just a prank. However, Merrick appeared to be concerned. He wasn't sure that she should discard the note so readily. He would send it to be dusted for prints just to double check that it wasn't from some escaped felon or something.

"Terry?"

She took a deep breath. _What the hell. It might be nothing after all. _"When I got back to my apartment after work yesterday, I…"

Don's cell phone rang and she stopped. He pressed the button on his hands-free and glanced curiously at Terry before answering. "Eppes."

"Don!" Charlie's voice was both excited and anxious, "Don, you have to get here quick! Larry says he knows what the link is between the three murders. And there are going to be more…"

"Hey… hey slow down, buddy." Don gave Terry the look which said _'Something's up!'_ She sat up, interested. Don signaled left before continuing, "Are you saying that there are going to be more people dead… with connections to the dead attorneys?"

"Yes!" Don could hear his brother pacing around in the basement while talking, "Five more people are going to die. But these people aren't all attorneys. There's a doctor, a journalist, an engineer…"

"Hold on a second!" Don turned a corner, "I'm almost at your place, Charlie. Just tell me… what is it that connects all these people?"

There was the sound of paper shuffling. Then Charlie's voice sounded once more.

"Don… have you ever heard of Delta Blue?"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I know some bits are kinda cliché but anyways…

Here we are… the plot! Finally…

Don parked the car in the driveway and practically leaped out of the vehicle. Terry followed suit, holding the file that she had taken from the office by her side, as they both jogged to the front door. The news that Charlie had just given them about the connection between the three victims gave them the adrenaline boost they needed to regain their focus on the case. And if he was right about the five other people who were about to lose their lives… they would need to catch the murderer before it was too late.

"Hey Dad," Don pulled his father into a swift hug at the door, "Charlie's found something in this case and…"

"There's no need to explain, Don." Alan released him quickly. Don sprinted to the basement. Alan Eppes beamed at Terry, who had been standing behind his son, "Hello Terry. Are you staying for dinner?"

"If that's convenient, Mr. Eppes. It's good to see you again."

A few seconds later, Don and Terry were standing around Larry Fleindhart, eagerly waiting for what he had to say. Larry still looked pale, but had regained his composure and was trying to look relatively calm.

"These people… these three attorneys who were murdered were once members of an organization named Delta Blue." Larry pulled out the sheets with the information that was collected on the three victims. "If you haven't heard of them, then that's okay… because only fifteen people in the world are supposed to know of its existence."

Larry leaned back and took a deep breath, "About ten years ago I met a man named James Well. He practiced law publicly, but later on he told me that he was the founder of a private organization… a group of people who wrote a program that could crack any safe… any password in the world. The program was named MINOTAUR. Take a bank for example. Delta Blue had the power to remove funds from any one account in any bank in the world and transfer the said amount to another location without being traced. It was the perfect program. Delta Blue wanted to use this program to stop the spread of corruption in the world. Using MINOTAUR, James once prevented a billion dollar drug deal from taking place."

Don exchanged a look with Terry. _This sounds like something that could be used for grand theft! Why hasn't the FBI heard of James Well or Delta Blue before?_

"Now, we all knew that if this program got into the wrong hands… terrible things could happen. Priceless treasures could be stolen… Money could be taken from innocent people and used for criminal acts… So James protected it, with a series of pass numbers that no one outside of Delta Blue would know about. Eight people were chosen by drawing lots, and each was given a random series of numbers in such a way that only they knew their pass number. In other words… there are eight pass numbers protecting this program, and the only people who know what those pass numbers are, are the eight members of Delta Blue who were given those numbers."

"And the two other victims who were killed after James Well…" Terry inquired, "They were members of Delta Blue who had the pass numbers to break through the firewall."

"That's right. Which means that whoever is killing these people would have three of the eight pass numbers protecting MINOTAUR. Now, Delta Blue was made of fifteen people at any one time," Larry continued, "I'm still one of the fifteen because I'm not dead yet, but I wasn't chosen to have a pass number. I don't know if that makes me safe or not, but if these people find me… then I actually will have nothing to tell them."

Larry paused and took a sip of water. His hands had started to shake, "When I heard James was dead… I thought it might be a random killing. I heard about the other two attorneys being… murdered and I didn't even think that it might be Henry and Andrew."

"The press didn't release the names of the two most recent victims… because the LAPD didn't want people to panic." Don put a comforting hand on Larry's shoulder, "I know it's hard, Larry, for you to talk about your friends like this. But it's good that you're giving us this information. It may help to prevent more people from dying."

"I know…" Larry took a deep breath, "We haven't met for years… The last time all of us talked was when we feared MINOTAUR was about to be stolen."

"So this isn't the first time the program was targeted?" Terry asked, as she hastily scribbled some notes into her notepad.

"Yes. About five or six years back there was a threat from a non-government organization, the Antagonists. Or at least that's what they called themselves then." Larry paused, trying to remember the details, "It was quite a scare… But they couldn't infiltrate the pass numbers. We warned them that the system would shut down if they guessed more than ten times. They didn't want to risk losing MINOTAUR. So they backed off… and we never heard from them after that. James still changed all the pass numbers though, in case they managed to figure out one or two."

"So this organization might have decided to strike again… a little harder this time." Don mused, looking over Terry's shoulder to see what she had written, "We need to know everything you can remember about the Antagonists, Larry."

"Yes, of course." Larry shut his eyes for a moment, thinking. "They sent James an anonymous letter once… telling him that they were _watching_ him. He was so worried for his family, but in the end they disappeared and we kind of… forgot about it."

Terry's face went white at the mention of an anonymous letter. Could it be…?

"I suppose you want the names of the other people in Delta Blue… for protection." Larry's voice interrupted her thoughts, "It's only a matter of time before another person is killed."

"Dinner's ready!"

Charlie jumped at the sound of his father's voice. He had been silent for a long time, thinking about what his friend had just told all of them. Even though Larry said he didn't have a pass number to access the program it didn't mean that he would be out of danger. The people who killed the three members of Delta Blue might still come after him. Charlie couldn't help but worry.

"We're coming, Dad." Don poked his head out the door before sprinting back towards the three ashen faced people by the table.

"Give us the names, Larry." Terry said gently, pulling out a fresh page from her notepad, as Charlie straightened himself up and glanced worriedly at his brother. She had quickly regained her composure after having frightening thoughts about a certain letter she received, "We'll see that this people are given protection from the FBI immediately."

&&&&

Dinner was a quiet affair. Alan Eppes had prepared spaghetti for his sons and their guests, and although it was delicious, no one seemed to have much of an appetite. Everyone was… thinking.

Charlie was running numbers through his head to calculate the chances that Larry would get injured or, god forbid, killed.

Don was hoping fervently that the other members of Delta Blue would get protection as soon as possible. He had called the office and teams had been sent out immediately to the houses of all the people Larry had named. The call had been made fifteen minutes ago.

Terry's thoughts, on the other hand, kept going back to the mysterious note that she had received. What if the letter had been sent by the mysterious 'non-government organization' that Larry had mentioned? If those people were willing to kill to further their cause… then she had a good reason to be worried.

Larry took nervous stabs at his spaghetti, feeling more anxious than ever. He knew that Don and Terry would do everything in their power to catch the men who killed his three friends, but… would they manage it in time? Larry just wished that he was far, far away from Los Angeles, writing a paper on astrophysics or something, and not thinking about how the city suddenly seemed a much more dangerous place.

It was an uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly remembering something, Don glanced at his partner for a moment, a question on his lips. But he stopped. Although she was looking downwards, he could still see the dark circles under Terry's eyes and the exhaustion written on her face. He wished he could just reach forward and hold her hand; just to make sure she was okay. But such an action could be… misinterpreted.

Even though Don cared deeply for Terry, he wasn't prepared for his feelings to be rejected by her. How would he know if she felt in any way the same feelings he had for her? He had crossed the line from friendly affection to god-knows-where a long time ago, and still he didn't want to lose whatever relationship he had with Terry for the sake of his seemingly teenage emotions. After all, why jeopardize both their careers for something that he was probably just imagining anyway? Don respected her too much to do that to her.

The sound of his cell phone ringing brought an unexpected interruption to the silent table. A second later, Terry's phone began to ring. The FBI agents exchanged a glance. Alan took a stab at his dinner. Charlie and Larry looked up at the two of them, with their cell phones ringing in their pocket, alerting them to the dangers that were just outside the door. _This can't be good._

"Eppes."

"Lake."

Their respective conversations were short and blunt. Everyone had stopped eating to watch the agents' responses. Don hung up first, quickly followed by Terry.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, with Agent Lake. We'll see you there. Make sure someone calls David in Washington and informs him of this. And tell him to come home. We need him here. This may be a lot bigger than any of us imagined."

Terry glanced over at Don for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face, "Yes, sir. I'll be right there."

The two of them got up, with hardened looks on their faces. Words were stuck in their throats. Three pairs of eyes followed them nervously as they set their chairs back in place.

Larry looked up at them, half-expecting the news. His heart was hammering in his chest so hard that he felt as though he couldn't breathe. "What happened?" he managed to say. Next to him, Charlie squirmed with anxiety.

"I'm so sorry Larry… but there's been another murder. With the same MO. A single shot to the right temple. The people from the crime lab are processing the scene as we speak." Terry took a deep breath, "The LAPD thinks it's the same people who killed the attorneys."

"Who… where…. Who was it?" Larry finally found his voice. A heavy silence had fallen on the dining room of Charlie's home.

"Gail Fox." Don said, putting his cell phone in his pocket, "She's a paramedic."

&&&&

Police cars were surrounding the complex where the ambulance was parked, their lights still flickering. There were so many police officers in the area that it looked almost like a raid. But they were out of luck. The person who had shot Gail Fox had long disappeared. And the security camera that was scanning the area had been taken. The only evidence of its existence was the wires sticking out of the wall, sharp and cleanly cut.

Terry was bent over the body, blonde hair falling over her face, as the LAPD detectives spoke nervously in quiet voices to one another. Dr Fox was a woman in her early forties, with a petite figure and short, reddish hair. Wordlessly, Terry turned her over and examined the bullet wound on the right side of her head, above her ear. It was a quick death, painless, but a murder nonetheless. It was looking a lot like someone was trying to steal all the pass numbers to access MINOTAUR. _And killing all those in his or her path… _Was it possible that the group from six years ago that had threatened Delta Blue was once again taking action?

Terry shivered, and not because of the cold.

Behind her, Don was speaking to the security guard who had found Dr Fox's body. Writing a few sentences into his notebook, Don thanked the guard and walked over to the blonde woman kneeling in front of him. He put a hand on her shoulder. Terry turned around and caught his eye. He saw in her eyes what he himself felt. _We need to act quickly. These people are moving faster than we thought._

"The guard says that Dr Fox usually worked nights, and without a partner. It was normal for her to come here at this time. Whoever did this… would have known her schedule. They might have had her followed. It's all been very well planned. The next few members of Delta Blue had better be careful." Don put a hand on Terry's arm and led her away from the body, "You should really get some rest, you know. I'm going back to the office to write up a report for this, and make sure that the others are given protection. I'll send you home first."

"Don…" Terry wanted to tug away and tell him that he didn't need to do her work for her, but the touch of his hand on hers seemed so… comforting. For a moment she forgot about the case and the investigation at hand.

"They only need one person to do all that, Terry." He gave her a small smile, "I can take care of it."

&&&&

They drove to Terry's apartment in silence, both ingesting the details of the murder and how they were planning to catch the murderers before they killed more people. Two FBI agents had escorted Larry back to his house and were now camping outside his front door, hoping to catch whoever was targeting the members of Delta Blue. All the other members had been secured with protection, and all Don and Terry could do was hope that it would be enough to prevent any more murders.

What they had to worry about now was… how would they find the killers?

Don parked the SUV in front Terry's apartment building. The inside was brightly lit, even though there was not another person in sight. For some reason, he didn't want her to get out of the car. There was something… wrong. He still didn't know what had been distracting her the whole day.

_If something happened to her… I wouldn't be able to forgive myself._

Terry unbuckled her seat belt, said _thank you_ in her wonderful soft voice, and opened the door. Don watched as she slid out and walked inside the building.

Terry was about to walk up to the elevator when she was stopped by her partner, who had put his hand on her shoulder. _He followed me in, _she began to wonder why he was being so protective.

Don had an unfathomable look in his eyes. "You'll tell me if there's something bothering you, won't you?" he asked, in an almost pleading tone of voice.

Terry thought of answering, but stopped. She didn't want to keep him away from his job. Both of them knew that there was a lot to be done, and Don would be at the office until very late. She appreciated that he was willing to do some of her work for her, but she wasn't willing to make him worry about her too much.

"Of course I will, Don." She grasped his hand reassuringly, "I'll take care of myself, don't worry. Just… call me if anything comes up, alright?"

"Sure." He let go of her hand and nodded. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Terry had to smile as she walked into the elevator. As the doors closed, she caught a glimpse of Don Eppes standing just a few feet away, his eyes following her, making sure that she went up safely. It was nice to know that he was always looking out for her, just as she was for him.

_Good night, Don._ She thought, his dark eyes appearing in her mind.

At that same moment, as Don turned around to leave, he murmured half to himself.

_Sleep well, Terry._

&&&&


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. Will give them back soon, I promise.**

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's the fourth chapter already! Wow… There will be more action happening here! Enjoy!

Thank you everyone for all your reviews! The support is greatly appreciated.

It was almost midnight.

Don had been at his desk for two and a half hours straight, and was almost ready to leave. He had made sure that David Sinclair had been booked on the next flight to Los Angeles, and Don would be glad to have the younger agent back in the office. He needed his help to sift through clues and try to get some more leads. Rubbing his eyes lightly, he took a moment to think about how the LAPD planned to find these murderers. He had searched for news on the _Antagonists_ over the past ten years but his search had come up empty. That didn't necessarily mean that the group was not responsible for the murders, but it just made things harder for him to convince the rest of the team (as well as the police force) that they should be looking for a group of people who haven't been active for six years.

Don got up and picked up his jacket, which he had thrown over one end of his desk. There was no one else still working on this floor except for a computer technician, Lydia, who had accompanied Don back from the crime scene. She was searching through the tapes from the other security cameras in the area, hoping to find a hint to the identity of the killer, with one hand rubbing the side of her head slowly. Lydia looked like she had a headache just looking at the screen.

"Any luck so far?" Don stepped over to her table and gave her small smile, "By the way, thanks for coming in so late… but we needed someone to comb through the evidence."

"That's quite alright, Agent Eppes." Lydia said, in a weary voice, her eyes still fixed on the screen, "I'm afraid I can't see anything on any of the tapes that looks remotely suspicious. There are just a few cars passing by, but none that I can see stop by near the complex. I'll go through it again to check, though."

Don sighed. "It takes a lot of planning to pull of four murders like this, and be able to keep the cops off your tail…" he murmured, almost to himself, "These people must have been planning this for months."

Lydia shook her head in a disappointed manner, "The things people do these days…"

Suddenly, Don's cell phone rang. Lydia jumped, almost knocking over the mug of coffee on her desk. "Sorry…" he looked at the caller ID and frowned slightly, "It's just my partner calling. She should be asleep now, though…"

"Eppes." Even though he knew it was Terry, his usual professional answer came through anyway. Don pulled his jacket on with his free hand, wondering why she would be calling him so late. _It's midnight! She should be in bed, fast asleep!_

"Agent Eppes…" Don's blood ran cold. The voice that came through the speaker was not the soft, even tone of his partner. It was a raspy, deep voice that he couldn't recognize. Blinking a few times, Don checked the caller ID on his phone once more. Sure enough, it read _Terry Lake._

"Who the hell is this?" Don tried not to let the worry he felt for Terry come through in his voice. Who would be calling him on Terry's cell phone at this hour? Lydia turned around, wondering what had initiated Don's sudden change in tone.

"I hoped that we would be in contact sooner…" the voice continued, apparently in no hurry to reveal his identity, "But Agent Lake proved to be a lot less talkative than we hoped. Are we on a secure line, Agent Eppes?"

"Who is asking?" Don gritted his teeth to keep his voice steady. _If anything happened to Terry… _"Where is Ter- Agent Lake? Why are you using her cell phone?"

"So many questions, Agent Eppes…" the person on the other end of the line was almost laughing at Don, "And you haven't even answered mine yet. Don't worry. I will speak to you again in due course… with our demands. I will call back on this number in eight hours precisely. So… go home, brush your teeth and sleep well. Rest assured that Agent Lake will not be harmed, yet."

Don swore. Lydia was looking increasingly anxious, afraid that something might have happened to the vibrant young Terry Lake. "What the hell do you want?"

"Come on… have some manners. If you wish to see your partner alive, you might want to take what I'm saying seriously, Agent Eppes. It's a cold night… and let's just say that she's not wearing very much. You don't want her to freeze, do you? The faster we end this conversation the faster we can drive to a place with a heater."

Don didn't like feeling that he was being toyed with. He also didn't like the fact that Terry was in the hands of a man who chose to say to him that _she's not wearing very much_. "Let me speak to her." He managed to say, his free hand involuntarily clenched in a fist.

"Be my guest…" There was some shuffling, and then Terry's voice sounded on the other end. Her voice was shaking, perhaps because of the wind outside. Don's heart was slamming at such a fast pace he was sure that he was going to collapse soon from anxiety. "Don?"

"Terry!" He wasn't sure what to ask her. He just needed to know if she was okay. The FBI agent inside was trying to force some professionalism into his voice, but Don knew that this was personal. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay…" Terry left the sentence hanging in such a way that Don couldn't fully believe her. _There's something she's not saying…_ "I just have no idea who these people are. I don't know what they want either…" _Oh god, she's scared. I can't bear it if she's scared…_

"Just hang on, alright?" Don tried to keep her calm, even though he knew that Terry wouldn't break easily, "I- I'll find you, I promise." Then there was some more shuffling, and Don's heart sank. He needed to make sure that she was okay… that they wouldn't hurt her. _If they touch a hair on her head…_

"That's enough talking, Agent Eppes." The raspy voice returned. Don was feeling incredibly nervous. A hostage situation was bad enough, but now that that hostage was Terry… "I will be in touch. Be in your office at eight AM. I want all the agents to hear my requests."

&&&&

Twenty minutes earlier…

_Terry was snuggled deep inside her warm, cozy blanket, half asleep. With her heater switched on, and wearing her most comfortable sweater, Terry was sure this was pretty close to heaven. What would make it perfect? If only she had a certain someone to cuddle with… No, stop it! Now is not the time to have inappropriate thoughts about one's partner. It's time to sleep and recover from exhaustion…_

_There was a really quiet creaking noise coming from somewhere, but it was so hard to hear with her heater making that stupid buzzing noise. It must be the neighbors again… back home after some party. Terry turned over and buried her head in the pillow. Come on, people… go to bed! It's just so nice and warm in here… _

_She was almost asleep when her bedroom door opened, but she didn't make any movement. However, it was the sound of voices that made her jump upright. Terry felt her head collide with something hard and cold; and all of a sudden she was knocked out of her blanket. Struggling to stay conscious, Terry tried to get up and lash out at whatever had pushed her. But then… someone pressed a gun to the side of her head._

_She froze. In the dark she couldn't make out any shapes, but she was sure there were at least two other people in the room with her. Who the hell are these people? How the hell did they get in…? Terry heard someone feeling the wall for the light switches. She felt her heart pounding against her chest with such intensity that she felt nauseas. She wanted to scream but knew that it would be futile. Suddenly the lights came on._

_Someone wolf-whistled. "Hey… take a look at those legs…" Another person chuckled. God damn it, Terry thought, as a sudden realization hit her; I've got no pants on. She tried to salvage whatever modesty she still had by pulling her legs closer to her, wrapping her arms around her knees whilst she scanned her surroundings. Terry didn't like being observed so openly like this._

_Okay… come on, FBI training, help me out here. She was wide awake now. Terry looked around at the men who seemed to be searching her room for something. There were three men surrounding her, opening doors and drawers. All had masks on, and all were armed with what looked like semi-automatic pistols. What are they looking for? In my sock drawer..? Oh shit, my gun! Terry turned around slowly to face the bedside table, not wanting to cause any unnecessary alarm by making a sudden movement. She saw that there was another man standing just behind her, holding a gun to the back of her head. "Now don't you move, sweetheart." He had a very deep voice, but it crackled, like he had a very sore throat._

_I'm not your sweetheart! Terry wanted to scream. Her weapon was still on the bedside table, apparently untouched. It seems they don't want it. There was some shuffling noise coming from the front of the room and Terry turned her head back around to the source of the sound. "Okay, I've got it." One of the men said, holding up her cell phone. "Get her up. Let's go."_

_The man behind her pulled Terry up to a standing position. She knew that it was useless to try and resist being taken out of her home, but it just felt so stupid being dragged the way she was. The men led her out of her apartment and through the door that led to the fire escape stairwell. The six flights of steps that Terry made her way down on seemed to take much more energy that normal. She knew that she was still exhausted and wasn't fit to take on four armed men. She would just have to follow their orders and see where they lead her to. _

_If they wanted to kill me, they would have done that already. Terry tried to keep herself calm. These must be the people who wrote the note and slipped it underneath my door last night… Or maybe they are just 'hired help'. Who knows…?_

_They reached the bottom floor and Terry was pushed out into the lobby. All of a sudden, there was the sound of footsteps coming from outside and the men stopped moving. Terry was filled with a sudden fear. Was it one of the kids coming back late? The footsteps became louder and louder. The men raised their weapons. "No… please…" Terry pleaded. "Please don't hurt anybody. Just take me and leave them alone…"_

"_Miss Lake!" An old man appeared through the doors, staring at Terry in shock. It was Gerald, the elderly night watchman. He had been working at her apartment block ever since she moved in, and being a late worker, Terry had often seen him when she got back from work. He looked from her to her kidnappers with an expression of disbelief on his face. "What's going on…?"_

"_Gerald… run quickly, go!" Terry tried to run towards the old man and push him away from the line of fire. He was standing in front of the three men, unarmed and looking everything but fairly matched against her captors. But she was too late. Almost without hesitation, it seemed, the man behind her lifted his weapon above her head and fired. Gerald fell back, the shocked look still on his face. "No!" She ran towards him, free for a moment when her captor released her to put his gun into its holster by his waist. With tears half-blinding her vision, Terry saw the bullet wound that had entered Gerald's heart. "Oh god, no…"_

"_Quickly! People would have heard the shot." The now unarmed man grabbed Terry's arms and pulled her away from the lifeless body. He seems to be the leader of the group, Terry noted, in spite of her shock. He was very strong. She tried to pull away, but it was useless. Her body was too tired to make use of the self defense skills that she would have used under normal circumstances. The man grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up roughly, carrying her away from the lobby and out into the open._

_It was freezing. Terry felt the wind whip around her face and dry the tears that had settled on her cheeks. They just killed an old man in cold blood… There was a black van parked just in front of the apartment building. The three men jumped into the van, and the engine rumbled. The back door was open. The man holding her practically threw Terry into the back seat and jumped in after her._

"_Get us to a safe place." He reached under the seat and pulled out several lengths of rope. "I need to speak with Agent Eppes." The car jerked forward and they sped out of the parking area. _

_Terry looked at him in horror. What the hell did he want? A man behind her grabbed her hands and pulled them violently together, using some rope that his accomplice handed him to bind her arms. She struggled, and was met with a stinging slap on her face. "Don't move, Agent Lake." The man with the raspy voice said, pulling her legs upward onto his lap and tying her ankles together with more rope. "We wouldn't want to damage that pretty face any more, would we?"_

TBC

Ooh… how exciting…. Just wait! There's more to come. The suspense…!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. They all belong to someone else. Well, most of them do anyway.**

The fifth chapter is finally here! It was a hard one to churn out, and I hope everyone enjoys it!

The sound of sirens was an unpleasant greeting to Don's ears as he drove into the parking lot in front of Terry's apartment. After her kidnapper's call had been terminated, Don had dialed the sheriff's number so quickly that he forgot that it was a few minutes past midnight. All his thoughts were with his partner, praying and wishing that she was alright. Even now, as he got down from his SUV with a feeling of dread in his heart, Don couldn't remove the fear in her voice from his mind. He couldn't remember a time when his focused and enthusiastic partner had been frightened, and this scared him.

"_Sir, this is Agent Eppes from the FBI…" Don spoke as soon as the sheriff answered his phone. Beside him, Lydia looked on helplessly, still unsure of what had just happened, "You have to send some men to my partner's apartment immediately! I just got a call from…"_

"_Agent Eppes, please calm down." The sheriff's voice was very composed for someone who had just received a midnight call, "There has already been a team dispatched to Agent Lake's residence. We were informed almost ten minutes ago that a man had been shot in the lobby of her apartment building. If you wish you can make your way there now, and talk to the detectives who have just arrived at the scene."_

_Don's blood ran cold at the news of someone being killed where Terry lived just ten minutes before he received the call from her cell phone. He knew for a fact that she was alive; yet… knowing that whoever had taken her had probably just murdered an innocent man was not a comforting thought. _

"_Sir…" Don tried desperately to sound calmer than he felt, "I just spoke with a man who has abducted Agent Lake from her apartment. Your men need to search her room for any clues that might lead us to them… They told me that they have some demands."_

That had been news for the sheriff. He had been called by a senior officer who alerted him of the killing of a night watchman on duty in a commercial apartment building, but no one had mentioned that a federal agent had just been taken forcibly from her home. This had put a whole new spin on things, and made what appeared to be a routine homicide investigation a lot more serious.

Don jogged over to where the detectives stood and greeted them bluntly. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and they understood. The two detectives were just informed of his partner's kidnapping, and realized soon after that this was not going to be a simple case. "I'm Detective Gray, and this is my partner, Detective Harris. We just heard about your partner, Agent Eppes. I'm very sorry." The tall, lanky man introduced himself and the shorter man beside him. Don shook their hands as they walked towards the body, his head still spinning from the night's events. First he found out about Delta Blue, and then the fourth victim's body was found… and now Terry was missing. Don felt like hitting himself.

It was _his_ fault that she was kidnapped. He was the one who told her to go home. If she had been in the office with him… this would be a different story. _But it was just that she looked so tired… I did what any partner would do. _Don mentally berated himself. Terry was in dangerous hands. He needed to focus.

"His name is Gerald Smith." Gray handed Don a pair of white gloves and bent over the body. "He was killed with a single shot to the heart. Bullet killed him instantly. The boys from the crime lab said something about the blood spatter indicating that he was shot from about ten feet away, near that door. Whoever did this was a pretty good shot."

Don looked at the body and let out a slow breath. "He probably just heard noises and came out to investigate… Then the kidnapper decided to kill Mr. Smith before he alerted the police." Don recognized the old man as the night watchman who he had seen several times hovering around the block whenever he gave Terry a ride home late at night. Terry always greeted Gerald when she saw him. _She must be distraught_, thought Don. _This guy was an innocent victim and she seemed fond of him._

"That's what we're thinking, Agent Eppes." Harris said, sighing. "Poor old man... Wife's been dead for years. His daughter, an only child, lives just a few blocks away. The officers are going to break the news to her at a more decent hour."

The three men straightened solemnly and stood over the body. A young police officer emerged from the door that led to the fire escape stairs and nodded sharply in greeting. "Forensics are done processing apartment 302, sir," she said to Gray. _Terry's apartment… _Don couldn't shake the feeling of guilt off his chest. _I should have protected her. _"There was nothing much that they could find. They said that you can go in there now." _Oh please, let Terry not be hurt… please…_

&&&&

They had been driving for such a long time that Terry no longer knew where she was, or how long it had been since she had been so rudely awaken. About ten minutes after Raspy Voice (She still didn't know his name) had spoken to Don using her cell phone, she had been blindfolded and pushed into the back of the van. Having her hands and feet bound turned out to be very uncomfortable, and in spite of her exhaustion Terry found that she couldn't fall asleep.

The conversations that the men sitting in front of her had were intriguing, to say the least. The annoying thing was that they were speaking very softly, and the padded wall that separated the back of the van from the seats in front didn't help. However, she did hear the word MINOTAUR being mentioned several times. _These must be the people who murdered the four members of Delta Blue. _Terry struggled to keep herself conscious. _But what do they want me for…? _

A sudden frightening thought hit her. _What if they knew that Larry told Don and I the names of all Delta Blue members? _She had seen one of the men shoot a defenseless old man in cold blood. They would do whatever it took to get the information out of her. Terry shivered. Or maybe… maybe they were using her as a hostage to threaten the FBI. That made more sense. _But that's not much better! Don must be under a lot of stress…_

Terry would have kicked herself if her ankles weren't tied together. She felt stupid thinking about him all the time. _He's my partner, for goodness sakes! _She had lost count of the number of times she had repeated that line to herself, after moments of plain daydreaming about what it would have been like if they hadn't broken up after leaving the academy. Terry could remember everything they had done together- from studying to watching movies to just fooling around. It was crazy how she wanted to remember her every moment together with Don Eppes forever.

_Stop it! _Terry shook her head violently, regretting the sudden movements instantly as her nausea returned. _Right now, I'm in the back of a van full of murderers and all I can think about is my extremely illogical and undeniably unrequited feelings for Don? This is just ridiculous! It must be the tiredness making me delusional…_

They were slowing down. The sudden change in speed brought Terry back to senses and she turned her head around nervously. Although she shouldn't see anything, she felt as though they had moved indoors- into a garage or warehouse perhaps. From somewhere behind the van, there was the sound of a mechanical door shutting. Terry's heart thudded painfully as she heard the back door of the van open. Even with her blindfold on, Terry could tell that they had entered a brightly lit area.

Someone jumped into the back of the van and lifted her under her arms. Terry didn't know whether she should struggle or just let herself be taken. Her head was spinning too much for her to think properly as a pair of strong arms carried her out of her van. Still nauseas, Terry felt her feet touch the cold ground. _The floor is made of cement, _she noted. _But… that doesn't really give away a location. _

"Fix the scrambler." Raspy Voice started giving orders once more. The sound of many footsteps tapping on the cement floor in different directions made her feel dizzy. The lump on the back of her head where one of the men Terry's pulse rate accelerated when she realized that his voice was getting louder- he was approaching her…

Her blindfold was suddenly removed. Terry blinked several times as her unfocused vision slowly became clearer, taking deep breaths in an attempt to cure her nausea. The place looked like a small office, with a few desks situated next to one another, with two very expensive computers, some electrical equipment and a radio placed neatly on each desk. It was all very neat and organized. Terry wasn't surprised. Her profiling skills learnt from the academy taught her a few things about the men who kidnapped her.

She was fairly certain that they were after MINOTAUR, and were aiming to retrieve all the pass numbers from members of Delta Blue. What puzzled her was _her_ role in the whole business. If they wanted the names from her they would have at least tried to ask for them already. So far, not one of them had asked her anything about Delta Blue. It was almost as though they didn't know that she knew of the organization. But then again… there was no reason for them to suspect that she knew anything of their plans.

Raspy Voice was definitely the leader of the group. _He shot Gerald…_ Terry struggled to keep her emotions in check as she surveyed her surroundings. _He shot a defenseless man in cold blood. _Now this man seemed to know what he was doing. The way he walked, and the way he spoke to the other men who worked with him told Terry that he held himself in high regard. _His condescending manner and ego probably stem from his cleverness, _Terry thought. He was undoubtedly very brilliant. If it was him who planned and pulled off the four murders without allowing investigators a single lead… then she had to admit that he was very intelligent. She was amazed at the thoroughness of the whole plan. Terry knew it must have taken months, even _years_ to plan how they would access MINOTAUR.

_He is very meticulous, _Terry glanced at him as he folded the blindfold into a neat square and tucked it away into his pocket. He had been carrying a piece of rope, and now used it to attach Terry to an immovable pipe. _A very careful planner… He plans his every move before acting. _Terry's head was hurting so much that she couldn't think straight. She had to practically force herself to keep concentrating on her profiling skills.

"We're going to call Agent Eppes in four hours time. Make sure that they can't trace us when we speak to the good agent." Raspy Voice called out to his accomplices, as he secured her to the metal pipe by the wall. Terry looked over to see what they were doing. The four of them had removed their masks and were seated around the equipment on the tables. One man had a thin, stiff moustache. He was fidgety, but was handling some delicate mechanism with expertise. Another was quite young, and looked sullen. He was seated in front of a computer and was typing furiously. The other two looked like brothers. Both had light coloured hair and solid builds.

"Profiling my men won't help you, Agent Lake…" Raspy Voice spoke suddenly, in a mocking tone of voice, as he noticed her studying his team. "By the time the FBI figure out what we want from them, we will have achieved our goal… and will be a thousand miles from here."

&&&&

"_Don! Are you actually studying?" Terry looked at him, smiling, with a laughing expression in her eyes. "I don't believe you've turned a page in the last ten minutes." She put her notebook on her lap and crossed her arms, trying to look cross with him. Needless to say, she failed miserably._

_Don grinned and pulled her closer to him. They were sitting together in the library, looking over some notes and pretending to revise for a practical assessment that would be held in a week. He couldn't remember a time when he was happier than with this brilliant, beautiful young woman. His days at the Academy, away from his family and home, were made sweeter by his budding relationship with Terry Lake. Putting his arms around her waist, Don spoke into her ear. "I've just been too busy staring at you… If I fail that test, I'm going to blame it on you, Lake."_

_Terry laughed softly, aware that they _were_ in a library and ought to keep it quiet. It didn't matter though. Most of the people around them didn't seem to mind very much that the two agents-in-training were somewhat distracted. _

_It felt so good to just be sitting there with her, sharing a moment together. Don realized that he laughed a lot more when Terry was around. "I'm glad you're so utterly and helplessly in love with me," she smiled and put her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "But I would like you to graduate, really…"_

_Don had to fight down the goofy grin he knew was threatening to reveal itself. "Well, you do know that since I inherited all the brains in the family… I'm free to be in love with you as much as I want. I'll still pass everything with flying colours."_

_Terry had to chuckle as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. Don's hand stroked her back lightly, enjoying the feel of her fingers on his chin. "And whatever happened to you blaming me when you fail the exam next week?" she teased, making herself comfortable in her current position._

"_Ah, you caught me again, Lake!" He laughed and put his hand on her cheek, his tone suddenly serious. "I love you, you know."_

"_Hey, I love you too. Don't ever forget that."_

Don woke up with a start, almost forgetting where he was. His mind taking a few seconds to process that he had just been dreaming, Don sat up and looked around for his cell phone, which was ringing insistently. _It was a good dream too… _He hardly remembered coming home from Terry's apartment. All he recalled was falling on top of his unmade bed and giving up to exhaustion. Now glancing at the clock on the bedside table, Don answered the call gruffly.

"Eppes." It was fifteen minutes to six AM. Any second now his alarm would go off. _I guess that dream was meant to end there… _Don could still remember that precious moment at the Academy in incredible detail. Knowing her had been the highlight of his time there, although he never told anyone that.

David Sinclair answered; his voice unable to conceal his obvious concern for his senior agent as he struggled to find the words. "Hey Don... I just wanted to let you know that I arrived from Washington just an hour ago. Merrick called me and… he told me about Terry. He said that you went home…" there was a pause. "How are you?"

"Not so good…" Don replied truthfully. He got out of bed, still dressed in yesterday's work clothes, and rubbed his temples roughly. "Is there any update from the kidnappers?"

"None yet…" He could hear the sound of paper rustling from David's end of the line. "Crime lab tested some black fibers that they found on the floor of Terry's apartment. It's black cotton, very common… so it isn't much help. I'm sorry."

Don sighed. He recalled entering Terry's apartment the night before, still partly in shock from the realization that his partner had been abducted. The lock on her front door had been expertly picked, and there was no sign of a violent attack. In her bedroom, the heater was still switched on and her bed was messy. _Very unlike Terry, _Don remembered thinking. Her drawers and cupboards were ransacked, but her weapon appeared to be untouched. The kidnappers knew exactly what they were looking for.

"Don…" David had to force some calmness into his voice. "They're going to call you at eight o' clock. I'm arriving at the office in fifteen minutes to set up the tracing equipment. And I… well, I know you probably wouldn't want him involved, but I called Charlie and informed him of our situation."

Don's alarm clock went off and he slammed a hand on it impatiently. He hadn't wanted Charlie to be too involved in the case now that Terry had been kidnapped. What if his younger brother became a target? Don wouldn't be able to handle it. But the professional agent inside of him reminded Don that he would need Charlie's help to track down the men who kidnapped Terry as well as those who killed the four members of Delta Blue. His hands were full, and he would need all the help he could get. Some protective part of him wondered how Charlie took the news of Terry being taken, and at such an hour. Don worried how his brother would react.

"Alright…" Don took out a clean set of clothes and picked up his toothbrush. "I'll be there soon."

TBC

Well there was a nice happy bit for everyone in the middle of all the gloom… the next chapter will be up soon so please hang around and review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. I wish I did though… then I wouldn't have to worry about finance any more.**

The sixth chapter! Wow, I didn't think I'd get this far…. Thank you everyone for your support and please enjoy the chapter!

"Here's Agent Eppes!" There were so many people in the office when Don arrived that he almost couldn't see his desk. It seemed as though Merrick had called in agents from four or five other teams, and they were all seated around a whiteboard with David running them through Terry's abduction and the deaths of the four members of Delta Blue. Amongst all the white shirts and black suits Don spotted Charlie, his curly head sticking out as he listened intently to David's summary of events.

The person who had called out his name so enthusiastically was Lydia, who was seated at her computer and was typing something with such speed that her fingers were a blur. The thirty or so agents who were listening to David suddenly turned around and looked towards the elevator. Don was standing with a pile of files in one hand, glad that he changed out of his crumpled suit and into a fresher shirt and tie. He didn't want agents from the other state offices thinking that he was some disorganized loser.

Charlie looked up suddenly, his eyes filled with worry at the tired lines on his brother's face. David had called him at five thirty in the morning, and although Charlie had been about to get out of bed, he was nonetheless surprised that he would receive a call at such an hour. He had just spent a sleepless night worrying about what could possibly happen to Larry, hoping that the investigators led by Don would soon find the murderers. When David told him that Terry had been kidnapped, Charlie couldn't find his voice for at least a minute. _And there she was, in my house, just a few hours before she was taken… Poor Terry! _

_And poor Don, too…_ Charlie met his brother's eyes and tried gave him a small smile. Although he knew that Don often termed him 'inept' in relationship issues and matters that involve emotion, it hadn't escaped Charlie that his brother cared a lot more for Terry than he chose to admit. Just watching him talk to her, or about her, Charlie was certain that Don was enduring a daily struggle with his feelings for his unwitting partner.

"Good morning…" Don began uncertainly, trying to make his way to his desk. It was only twenty minutes past six, and he had never seen so many people on the same floor at this time of the day. Charlie slipped past the agents surround Don to place a hand on his brother's arm in a silent gesture of support. Unable to manage a smile, Don just nodded to acknowledge Charlie's presence and sat down. Both Eppes' turned around to face David, who was about to continue giving his rundown of the cases at hand.

"Right," On a map that was pasted over the whiteboard surface, David had marked fifteen red spots, with names and addresses labeled accordingly. "These red dots indicate the location of all fifteen members of the organization Delta Blue. The four dots with crosses over them represent James Well, Henry Clear, Andrew Sienna, and Gail Fox. These people were all killed in the same way and this was what initially led investigators to believe that they were murdered by the same person. However with additional information supplied by Dr Fleindhart we now know that the murderer was after a series of pass numbers to access the super-program MINOTAUR."

"And have these people been linked with Agent Lake's disappearance?" A red-haired man seated at the back of the group asked, scribbling notes onto a large pad of paper.

David nodded, and turned away so that he wasn't facing Don anymore. "Yes, we have reason to believe that Agent Lake was kidnapped by the same people who murdered four members of Delta Blue for their respective pass numbers."

Don was dumbfounded. Charlie too, was speechless, as he processed what David had just said. "What…?" Don looked over at the younger agent anxiously, desperately trying to meet his eyes, "When did we get any information that tied together the cases? David…?"

"Eppes." Merrick stood up suddenly and called out to Don, ending his concerned interruption. "Could you please step into my office for a moment? We need to speak about some new evidence that you might not have heard about."

_New evidence…? I _collected_ all the evidence in this case! What evidence would I not know about? _Don got up quickly and followed Merrick into his office. The room was suddenly silent. Charlie knitted his brow, wondering why David was trying to avoid looking directly at him. The door was shut behind Don, a dull bang against the silence that hung in the air. Letting out a deep breath, David looked back at the whiteboard to continue talking about the case.

&&&&

"Agent Eppes, please have a seat," Merrick pointed to a chair, and quickly walked around Don to get to his desk. Don's face was an unnatural shade of white, and he sat down at once, feeling as though his legs weren't strong enough to support him. Terry's life was on the line, and evidence had been withheld from him? How could this happen?

"Sir, what have they found out…?"

"You can't blame Agent Sinclair for not telling you about this earlier." Merrick opened a drawer under his desk surface and pulled out a white piece of paper. "He didn't know until he arrived in the office this morning. He was surprised that no one else knew. It was not until he told me about what you and Agent Lake had found out that I realized this letter was important."

He placed the sheet of paper in front of Don, and sat down on his chair. Don stared at it for a moment, puzzled, then picked it up carefully. _We are watching._ His curiosity rose, and he turned the paper over, looking for a signature or an address. What was it about those three words that seemed so familiar? Don racked his brains for some information, but came up empty. "Sir, I don't understand…"

"That letter…" Merrick paused and drummed his fingers on a stack of papers restlessly, "That letter was sent to Agent Lake the day before she was abducted. Someone slipped it under her door after she got back from work at about three AM. She brought it to me when she came to work."

Don stared at the letter, astounded. _Terry kept this from me? Why would she do that? She told me nothing was wrong! _All of a sudden, Larry's worried voice popped into his train of thought. _"They sent James an anonymous letter once… telling him that they were watching him. He was so worried for his family, but in the end they disappeared and we kind of… forgot about it."_ "Oh my goodness…" Don took a deep breath to calm himself. "It's the same people… Larry told us about James Well's anonymous letter and she went so pale… I asked her what was wrong…"

"Agent Lake thought it was a prank when she brought it in." Merrick interjected quickly. He sighed and pulled his hands off the table. "She said that she didn't want you to worry unnecessarily. At the time, there seemed to be no link to the case that she was working on. The crime lab tested for prints and came up empty. Neither of us suspected anything."

"When did you make the link?" Don's throat felt dry as he turned the page over in his hands. _So this was what distracted her the whole day… Why didn't she tell me? I could have protected her! _

"_Agent Lake proved to be a lot less talkative than we hoped." _That was what the kidnapper had said. Was he referring to how Terry told only one person about the letter? They had meant to frighten her, but she didn't take the bait. _"I hoped that we would be in contact sooner…" _So, by not talking… Terry had unknowingly delayed her abduction. Don leaned back on the chair and shut his eyes slightly. _Terry… I would have protected you! I know I would have been anxious and paranoid and annoying but that might have prevented you from being taken away…_

"Sinclair was reading her notes." Merrick paused for a moment, making sure that Don was still listening. "A notebook was recovered from her apartment, and in it she had written some notes when talking to Dr Fleindhart about Delta Blue. She wrote about an anonymous letter being sent to James Well six years ago. Agent Sinclair brought it up because Agent Lake had the whole sentence underlined. If he had known before he called you, he would have brought it up and you would have known earlier. I'm sorry."

Don was quiet for a while. Merrick was actually being nice to him! That was strange in itself. Getting up slowly, Don folded the letter and put it into his pocket. "Thank you for letting me know about this, sir. I've got to prepare for the phone call… and it's already ten minutes to seven."

&&&&

"Don." David's voice cut into the din inside his head suddenly, almost making him jump. It was seven thirty, and the whole office was frantically preparing for their conversation with the man who not only was holding a federal agent in captivity, but was also responsible for the murders of four innocent people. Charlie was inside one of the meeting rooms with a whiteboard, a few marker pens and a map of LA and its neighboring states. He, along with three other agents, were trying to pinpoint a location where these men were hiding.

Don was at the water cooler, splashing cold water on his face in an attempt to keep him alert. He looked up when his name was called and saw David was standing beside him with an uncomfortable expression on his face. "Hello David."

"Don, I'm sorry that you didn't know about the letter." David said quickly, shaking his head. "I know how that must feel. Terry trusts you, more than anyone… it's just that she knew your mind was on a case and she didn't want you to get sidetracked. I would have told you… it's just that…"

"David," Don interrupted him gently, wiping the water off his face with the cuff of his sleeve. "You don't need to explain. I understand completely. Terry had her reasons for only telling Merrick, and those reasons are what make her a good agent."

David nodded slowly, his eyes still on the ground. "I'm supposed to brief you before… before you get on the phone with him."

Don looked over at the myriad of machines that were attached to his cell phone, and the number of agents who were hovering around it anxiously. "Of course," he motioned to David to follow him as he walked towards the phone. "Go ahead."

"We are fairly certain they don't know that we have the names of all members of Delta Blue. If they knew they would have gone to you or Terry and tried to get it out of you right there and then. But by abducting Terry… that told us that they're using her as a hostage and not for information. All I'm saying is just to play dumb about all things associated with Delta Blue. Judging from how you described this man, he'll only be too happy to reveal how he murdered four people. We'll just note that and try to go along with whatever he asks for."

"Alright…" Don walked over to his desk and sat down. David sat on Terry's chair, just opposite him. "Anything else..?"

"Don…" David paused, trying to find the right words to use, "Terry means a lot to all of us, but you need to sound as though this is completely impersonal to you. When you talk to the man, refer to her as Agent Lake and never as Terry. If this guy suddenly picks up that you personally care about what happens to Terry, he might use it to his advantage. For now, all he knows is that she's your partner. It would help to keep it that way."

Although David did not actually say it, Don could see in his eyes exactly what he meant. _I know that you love her, and I have no objections. Just make sure that the kidnapper doesn't realize that._

&&&&

Don leaned back against his chair and rubbed his eyes. It had been almost twelve hours since he had spoken to the kidnapper, and the floor was still bustling madly with the sound of thirty FBI agents all working at the same time. They had been unable to trace the call- Lydia said that the kidnappers had a scrambler attached to their phone which made it impossible to determine their exact location. Leaning back in his chair, Don shut his eyes for a moment as he wondered what their next move would be.

"_Agent Eppes, it's good to speak with you again." The man's deep, crackly voice came through the speakers as clear as a bell. There was no background noise that they could hear, and Lydia was typing anxiously as she tried to trace the call. "I trust there are other agents who are listening?"  
_

"_The whole floor is waiting to hear why you kidnapped Agent Lake," Don clenched his fists tightly and sat down. "I hope there's a good reason."_

"_There's an excellent reason, Agent Eppes!" the man almost laughed. "You may call me Mr. Chambers, for the sake of propriety. Now, we have a favor to ask the FBI… and it should be very simple. I just want a few names, and I will release your partner as soon as we get them."_

Chambers had wanted the names of the remaining Delta Blue members. Don was a little puzzled to why he did not already know them. It would make more sense to wait until he had all eight names before targeting each individual member. So he inquired, and he got a reasonable answer.

"_Names..?" Don tried to sound as ignorant as he could. "What names are you looking for? It seems as though you are resourceful enough to find out without the help of the government."_

"_Not resourceful enough, Agent Eppes… You see, there's a little security wall that we need to bypass and it completely escaped us that we were wrong about how many passwords we required for entry. We thought four was enough, and now we realize that we need eight."_

"_So you want me to give you the names of these people who have the remaining passwords? And let you torture them, or kill them to get what you want?"_

"_Well that depends on how cooperative they are." This time Chambers laughed. It was an unpleasant, throaty noise, and sent chills down Don's spine. "As the fate of your lovely partner depends on _your_ cooperation, Agent Eppes. Other than a somewhat nasty bump on the back of her head, Agent Lake is quite unhurt. But I do have a gun to her head, and if you do not help me then she will die."_

They had asked for time to find out the names that Chambers needed, and were given two days. Throughout the entire conversation, Don hadn't heard from his partner once. He took a deep breath and glanced over at Terry's desk, noticing that the pile of papers that she had left there the day before had already been pulled apart by other agents. God, it's only been less than a day since he last saw her and already he missed seeing her face. Hearing Chambers say that he was holding a gun to Terry's head had made Don extremely nauseas. _Please, please, don't hurt her… I can't go on without her._

_And there are so many things I have to say to her that I need to say. _

"Agent Eppes," a breathless young man appeared suddenly in front of Don's desk, looking as though he had run a mile. "Agent Eppes, we have a problem."

"What- what is it?" Don almost jumped out of his seat. _A problem is not what we need right now!_ The younger agent took a few deep breaths as he calmed himself enough to answer.

"One member of Delta Blue has just died, Agent Eppes." The young man handed Don a sheet of paper with a telephone message on it. "But he wasn't murdered. Robert Lee had a heart attack and died unexpectedly half an hour ago. The two agents who were protecting him rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. The doctors there said that it wasn't the first time that he had a heart attack. This was coming to him for quite a while now but none of us knew that he had a condition."

The paper that Don held in his hands was a note signed by the doctor who pronounced Robert Lee dead upon arrival. _Robert Lee had a pass number to access MINOTAUR… if he didn't tell anyone about it, then it's lost forever! _Don jumped up and put the page down on his desk. "If no one else knows what his pass number is, which is quite likely, then this changes everything. Find out if anyone else knows about his involvement with Delta Blue, and who are the people in the hospital who know he's dead."

Don moved out of his desk space quickly and jogged over to the meeting room, where Charlie was still trying to pinpoint a likely area where the kidnappers were hiding. The young professor was pacing back and forth restlessly as he muttered variables and numbers to himself. The three other agents who were assisting him exchanged confused looks every now and again, obviously unable to understand what Charlie was going on about. Don walked over to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder. "Charlie, Charlie… something's just come up and you need to listen."

Charlie looked up at his brother's anxious face and stopped muttering immediately. "W-what happened? Don, is Terry…?"

All of a sudden, Don's cell phone rang, and the answer died on his lips.

&&&&

Terry opened her eyes and wondered at what the sudden commotion was. Stiff from sitting in the same position for many hours, she tried shifting slightly to ease the tiredness in her limbs. A few meters away, the team was having an extremely loud discussion. _Obviously something didn't go their way… _Terry tried to make out what was being said, but with all five of them talking at once it was very hard to figure out what was going on. Her head was throbbing painfully, and staying conscious proved to be quite a difficult feat.

"One of them is dead, and no one else knows what the password is." She heard Raspy Voice speak very clearly over the din, and all of them suddenly fell quiet. "Unfortunately, that is the situation, and it was unexpected. However there just might be someone who may be able to help us…"

He glanced over at Terry, who tried to look at him squarely in the eye without moving her head too much. _One of them is dead…_ she thought. _That can't be good. But what can the FBI do? Who are they expecting to help them?_

"Call Agent Eppes." Raspy Voice continued, looking back at his men. "I've heard that he has a very clever younger brother who might be able to figure out the passwords for us… given the right incentive, of course."

The men turned their eyes to Terry, and she felt herself shaking. _Good god… _she wondered, trying to look less frightened than she was feeling. W_hat is going to happen to me?_

TBC

Phew…that was a long chapter! I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please review and give me your opinion of this story… And don't worry; it can't be gloomy forever!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. Oh well… that's life.**

Hello again! Thank you to all reviewers for your support of this story. All the encouragement is very, very much appreciated.

"Good evening, Agent Eppes." Chambers began the conversation with all the cordiality that would be expected of a perfect gentleman, "I am very sorry to call you without informing you earlier, but I'm afraid that something quite unexpected has taken place."

"Please... we don't have the names yet, Chambers. I told you, we need more time. Just give us a few days." Don tried to play dumb; it was wiser to act as though he didn't know anything about Robert Lee's premature death. Charlie was looking increasingly anxious. The last twelve hours had been spent trying to pinpoint a location for the FBI to search for Terry and her kidnappers, but it proved to be a very difficult task. So far, all he had concluded was that wherever they were hiding was not within five miles of the FBI building. Needless to say, that information wasn't exactly very helpful.

"Fair enough, Agent Eppes," Chambers said, "But unfortunately having the names we asked for is not going to serve our purpose any longer… Anyhow, I am not going to waste your time with meaningless banter. We needed to claim passwords from four other people; however, one of them has died without warning and it is now not possible for us to access the mainframe even if you give us the other three names."

"So what is it that you're asking for now, Chambers?" Don was quite puzzled. For one thing, how did they find out so quickly that Robert Lee was dead? Secondly, he wasn't sure what they wanted from the FBI now that having the other three names would not further their cause any more. Charlie began pacing again. The three agents who were in the room with the Eppes brothers exchanged nervous looks. They hadn't done very much in the last few hours, and were now huddled together and watching the professor, wondering what on earth he was muttering about.

"Let me speak to your brother, Agent Eppes… immediately. I've heard a great deal about the brilliant Professor Charles Eppes and I'm hoping that he might be able to help us get what we want. In return you can get what _you_ want. You can be assured that your partner will be safely returned to you once Professor Eppes gives us the help we require."

"Leave my brother out of this." Don whispered in a dangerous voice. The last thing he wanted was both Charlie and Terry having their lives at stake. Charlie suddenly stopped pacing when he heard what Don said. "Tell us what you want and we'll try…"

"We don't have time for games, Agent Eppes." Chambers said coldly, "Right now I need to speak with your brother. Please do not forget that I have Agent Lake right here and I can kill her whenever I choose. You would not want that to happen. Now, put the good Professor on the phone."

Don shut his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Charlie was standing just behind him, a hand on his shoulder. His eyes held so many emotions that Don couldn't look at him properly. "He wants to talk to you, Charlie." Don said, in almost a whisper.

Charlie nodded. He understood what his brother was going through, and if Terry's life was threatened, he would do anything to keep her safe. "Give me the phone, Don. I'll see what he wants."

Don paused for a second, and looked at his brother. In Charlie's face, he saw all the resolve and the determination that he himself felt to save his partner. Don knew that Charlie was always going to be his little brother to him, but maybe it was time he treated him like a man. He was almost thirty, after all. Charlie deserved his respect and it was high time that Don gave it to him. Of course, he had never doubted his abilities, but when it came to highly stressful situations, Don was never sure how Charlie would react.

With one hand clenched into a fist to stop himself from saying something unwise to Chambers, Don handed the phone to his brother swiftly. Charlie took the phone with a quick 'thank you' and answered, "Charles Eppes speaking."

"Hello Professor…" Just hearing Chambers' unpleasant voice made Charlie uneasy, but he couldn't waver. Not when so much was at stake. "I must say that I am quite excited to finally speak to you. I've heard a lot about you and your work for the FBI and the NSA. Now you must help us. We want you to determine the four passwords to enter the mainframe of this program using equations or whatever you need. That is all."

"You want me to determine the four passwords using _equations_?" Charlie repeated, his jaw hanging open in shock, "But passwords like the ones protecting classified information are just a random series of numbers, put together without any order or sequence… There will no equation that can establish four unrelated passwords. I don't think that it's possible…!"

Don had to admire how Charlie didn't give away his knowledge of Delta Blue in his answer. It was easy enough for an agent to have unknowingly said, in his state of surprise, something about a _program_, but Charlie had talked about 'classified information'. Classified information was a safe thing to say, and Don was glad that his brother still kept his head even in a nerve-racking situation.

"Professor," Chambers cut him off suddenly, and Charlie stopped. He started pacing again, and the three agents exchanged worried looks once more. Don swallowed nervously. He had never wanted his brother involved, but now it was unavoidable. "I never said that it was going to be an easy task. But nevertheless you are going to help me. I trust you would not want to be responsible for the death of an FBI agent, no? It's not a pleasant burden for someone so young…"

"Please don't hurt her!" Charlie spoke loudly all of a sudden, surprising everyone in the room. Don jumped up and put a hand on his arm, cautioning him. Chambers didn't need to know that Terry was more than just an FBI agent to his family. But his brother was shaking with fear. Don knew that Chambers had threatened Terry somehow, and Charlie could not bear it if he was responsible for anyone hurting her. "Please." He added, in a calmer voice, feeling his brother's weight on his arm.

"I think that you need a little more incentive, Professor…" Chambers said coldly, ignoring Charlie's requests. "You see, we are determined to have the passwords, and you must get them for us. There is simply no arguing about the matter…"

&&&&

Terry almost threw up when one of the men suddenly cut the ropes that tied her to the pole and threw her to the ground. Her head was spinning insanely, and she had to fight to stay conscious. Raspy Voice was on the phone with Charlie, that much she was certain, and he was asking for him to work out the pass numbers to access MINOTAUR. _But why am I now lying on the ground? _Terry looked around, trying to get up. But then she saw that the man kneeling beside her had a knife, and she stopped moving.

He cut the ropes around her wrists and threw them aside. Terry looked at him in surprise, wondering what he could possibly be up to. The ropes around her ankles were next, and soon she was completely free to move. Pushing herself painfully upwards into a sitting position, Terry took deep breaths to stop the nausea from getting out of control. Her heart began thudding at a ridiculous speed as Raspy Voice looked at her, and then said in the coldest tone imaginable _"I think that you need a little more incentive, Professor…"_

Terry could not longer hide her fear. She knew that something was going to happen, and the moment a hard boot slammed into her side Terry had already starting praying. _Oh God, please don't let them kill me…_ She felt herself hit the wall with a dull thud, and her head was whirling so much that she couldn't focus her vision. All she saw were shapes of people hovering ahead of her, and when another crushing blow met her already sore ribs, Terry couldn't help but scream. She could still hear Charlie's voice, yelling so loudly from the other end for them to _STOP_ that even without a speakerphone he was clearly audible more than five meters from the phone. Terry tried to roll over, feeling the hot tears stinging her eyes as she prayed for help.

_Someone help me! I don't want to die here! _Another blow, and then a scream. _Her_ scream…

She could still hear Charlie… he was shouting through the speakers. _STOP! PLEASE STOP!_

_It's alright, Charlie,_ She wanted to tell him. She wanted him to stop yelling, to stop worrying about her because soon she felt that it was all going to be over. _You're safe and Don's safe and that's all that matters… _

The pain in her side was amplified by two or three more strikes. Terry couldn't tell how many more there were. It was strange- she didn't know that it was her who was screaming until the sound ended and Terry found that she had no more voice left. _Oh god, I'm going to die._ _I need to tell Don… I need to tell him so many things… but it's too late._

Suddenly the beating ended. Terry felt her back against the wall. Her hands were clutching her side, and her breathing was slow and erratic. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. "Thank you gentlemen… Now get back to work." Terry heard Raspy Voice give an order, then resume talking to Charlie. She closed her eyes and felt her fingers touching blood. _My own blood_…

_Charlie didn't need to hear this. He's not supposed to hear it. He's not with the FBI and he's supposed to be protected from this kind of thing. And Don… Where is Don?_

The last thing Terry remembered before she lost consciousness was Don's voice in her head.

"Just hang on, alright? I- I'll find you, I promise."

_The last words he ever said to me… Find me, Don. Please find me. _There was a click as the phone call was terminated, and then Terry's world went black.

&&&&

"Charlie… Charlie…" Don held his brother's shoulders tightly, his own hands shaking as he tried to coax the young man out of his current state. "Charlie, please look at me. Please..."

"What just happened?" Agents began pouring into the meeting room, all in state of organized nervousness. "I heard the shouting… and this room is supposed to be pretty soundproof. Who was it? Agent Eppes…"

"I need to get my brother out of here, now." Don said loudly, getting up. Charlie was seated on a chair, still clutching the cell phone as he struggled to steady his breathing. He felt himself being pulled upwards, Don's hands guiding him towards the door. "Please, make way. There's been a situation, and these three agents will brief all of you. I'll just be a moment."

"Don…" David was standing just outside the door, his eyes filled with fear, "Don, please you have to tell me. I heard Charlie… I heard him asking them to stop… _hitting_ her. I-is she alright?"

"I don't know, David," Don answered wearily. "I wish I knew, but I don't."

The two brothers walked past David and several other agents, and crossed the corridor into another room. It was an interrogation room. Switching on the lights with one hand, Don led Charlie to a chair and made him sit down. The curly-haired young man was staring at the phone with an unreadable expression on his face. Don went to the door and shut it carefully, drowning out the voices of the people who were now crowding the meeting room and demanding to know what had just happened.

"Charlie, I'm so sorry that you heard that." D0n felt his throat get caught as he thought about Terry being beaten up by a gang of determined killers. _Oh Terry… Please don't be angry with me that I couldn't protect you from them. I wish I could have taken those blows for you…I wish I could hold you now and tell that you that it's all going to be okay…_

Charlie looked up suddenly, and their eyes met. "No, Don." He brushed some hair out of his eyes and put the phone down on the table in front of him. His voice was hollow, "I should be sorry. I made him angry when I said that I couldn't do it. And that's why he hit Terry- so that I could hear him do it, and so I would promise him that I would find out the passwords. But it's impossible, Don! It's impossible and I know it so well… but I promised that I would and if I don't he's going to kill her and it's-" Don stopped him quickly, knowing that when Charlie starting talking at such a rate he was going to work himself up into an impossible condition.

"It's not going to be your fault if anything happens, Charlie. Do you understand me?" Don took his brother's arms and gripped them tightly, "You did what you had to do, and I am very proud of the way you handled yourself. You didn't say anything about Delta Blue, or James Well, or that you knew _anything_ about their plans. You did better than a lot of agents would in that situation, Charlie, and you should remember that."

Charlie took a deep, shuddering breath to calm himself down. "But I heard her screaming, Don. It was the most awful noise. Dear, cheerful, ever-brave Terry… _screaming_ and begging for them to stop hitting her. It was the most… terrible thing I have ever heard. And suddenly I realized that I was screaming too. It was awful… hearing it and knowing that I was powerless to stop it."

Don knew exactly what his younger brother meant. He had been powerless to stop Terry's pain, and now he was struggling to cure his brother's guilt. "Charlie. You need to clear your head from this, okay? I'm taking you home now, and you're going to get some rest. You've been working for over thirteen hours straight…"

"But… what about the passwords?" Charlie interrupted suddenly, "What am I supposed to do about them? I can't stop working now! I need to get back in there, and…"

"No." Don steadied Charlie gently, pushing him back into the chair, "We both know that it's useless trying to work out the passwords. And we're not going to give it to them. Terry knows that our job is to protect this country and if those people have MINOTAUR they will be quite indestructible. What we're going to do is continue working on finding out their location. Tracing equipment is useless, so we will be relying on your maths skills. I'll make sure that consultants from state offices all over the country will fly in here as soon as possible to help you figure out where we can find these guys. But first, you need to sleep and refresh your mind. Eating would be next step, of course, but I'll handle that later. Come on, buddy. Let's take you home."

Charlie got up, feeling his legs were stronger now that he had finally kept his breathing steady. Don had a reassuring hand on his back, and led him out the door.

_I promise I'll find you, Terry. _Charlie thought to himself, as the walked through the corridor to gather some of Don's things from his desk. _I'll find you… for Don._

&&&&

Alan Eppes welcomed his sons into the house gladly, wondering what had made them come back together. He had expected his younger son to return alone, and seeing the look in Charlie's eyes, Alan was certain that something terrible had happened to Terry Lake. _Poor girl… She's such a sweet girl- she doesn't deserve all this. _He didn't need to ask them what happened. All he wanted was to take care of his boys for the night, and try to keep their minds away from the case.

Charlie had downed a glass of milk before collapsing on his bed, and was now sleeping soundly with one arm curved around his pillow. Alan covered him with a thick blanket, patting Charlie's curly head fondly, hoping that no nightmares would plague him that night. He turned off the lights soundlessly and went off to check on his older son.

He found Don sitting in his old room, on his bed, and holding an old photograph. The case files that he had brought to the house to review were dumped on the bedside table, quite forgotten. Alan watched him in silence through the half-open doorway, not wanting to disturb his thoughts. The photograph was one that Don hadn't looked at in a long while; he had sent it to his parents along with a few other photographs and a long letter whilst he was at the Academy, telling them about all the people he had met. Terry Lake had been in every single one of the photos that they were sent. They knew Don thought that she was special.

This particular photograph had just the two of them. Alan had found at it one day when he was cleaning up his closet, and had put it in Don's room as a memento of his Academy days. Obviously his older son had stumbled across it and he was now staring at it closely, lost in his thoughts. Seeing that Don was clearly occupied, Alan decided not to intrude and turned away from the room to get some sleep himself.

&&&&

_That's me and Terry… sitting on that swing in the park. Hey, she's wearing my baseball cap, and she has her hair longer in this picture. I remember this day so well… Some elderly couple took this photograph for us, and they told me that I was lucky to have a girl as beautiful as Terry. And I _was_ lucky. My arm around her waist, her hair just tickling my chin… It's a moment I'll never forget, and a feeling that I can't possibly have with any other woman._

God, it was stupid… Just sitting there, staring at the photograph, wishing for the past to return. Don realised what a fool he had been. They had been so happy together, so why did he end it? Why did he think that after the Academy, being with the FBI would be enough to satisfy him? Everything in his life meant nothing without her. Apprehending a dangerous criminal wouldn't have the same satisfying feel if Terry wasn't there to smile with him. Staying at the office until all hours would be absolute hell if she wasn't sitting right opposite him, twirling her pen in between her fingers, with just a few strands of blonde hair covering her face. And he was _so_ stupid. Why didn't he tell her when he had the chance? There was so much left to say that he had left unsaid. And now she was somewhere miles away, bruised and bleeding; and he couldn't protect her. _Damn, if I could say it all now._

_Life always has its ups and downs but being with you, everything just looks up. Just seeing you smile on a day where everything stinks makes it all seem alright. You probably don't know what you're doing to me. With just a simple touch, you make me a different person. And I've always loved you. I never stopped loving you, no matter what all the years have said. Every night before I fall asleep I see you there, in my mind's eye, beautiful and smiling. And every morning when I wake up I look forward to seeing you, and hoping that you'll smile to make it a good day. Terry… I wish you were mine. I wish you were mine. I wish you were mine!_

Don closed his eyes and lay down on his bed, still holding the photograph in his hands. Before he fell asleep, there was the stabbing pain of regret that would be a constant reminder to him from now on thatif he had Terry in his arms ever again, that he would never let her go.

TBC

I'm sorry that was so depressing! But it's all part of the story, and we can't be happy unless there are sad bits in the middle, right? Anyways updates will come soon so please review because it keeps me happy, and thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. I wonder what I would do if I did?**

Hmm… two o' clock in the morning and still writing… I think I'm getting attached to this story. Oh well, if it keeps all my readers happy, I'm happy. Please enjoy Chapter eight!

Don woke up to the wonderful smell of breakfast- eggs and toast. He had almost forgotten coming home the night before. Stretching, he found himself in his own bed, covered with a blanket. He got up slowly and glanced at the clock- it was half past six, time to get up and get to work. His stomach grumbling insistently, Don slid off the bed and basked in the smell of food for a moment. _Charlie could do with some of that food... I hope he slept well, though I hardly think that's likely._

He was glad that he managed to call many of the other bureau offices before he fell asleep the night before. Don knew that they needed all the consultants they could get to fly down to LA as soon as possible, and help Charlie determine where the kidnappers were hiding. He wondered if any other offices worked like he and his brother did, mixing mathematics with profiling and detective work in order to solve crimes. He didn't specify exactly what kind of consultants that they required in LA, but Don hinted that they might need 'some form of mathematical expertise'.

It was before he was about to change his clothes that Don realized that the photograph he was looking at the night before was still in his hand, a little crumpled from being held the whole night. His heart clenched suddenly as he looked at his and Terry's beaming faces. _We were so happy_… And they were even happy being partners. But he knew that they were both missing something from their lives. After Terry's short-lived marriage and his own transient engagement, both of them seemed to have given up on romance altogether. And their jobs… as much as he loved what he did, Don knew that doing his job properly meant that all the time that most people used for dating and socializing he spent sitting at a computer, running fingerprints through AFIS. He knew he had to be realistic, but still there was this annoying, nagging part of his memory that kept on showing him pictures of what it still meant to be in love. And Don missed her. He needed Terry to be beside him. In a funny way, she made him tick. She was a part of him, and without her, life just didn't seem complete.

Don got dressed quickly and wandered down to the kitchen, where he saw Charlie eating a piece of toast absentmindedly. His father could be heard frying eggs in the kitchen, but emerged a minute later carrying a plate laden with eggs and toast for his elder son. Don felt his stomach tighten at the smell of food. _When was the last time I ate anything anyway?_

"Good morning, son." Alan handed him the plate and took a seat at the table, "I was just about to wake you. David called the house just a few minutes ago saying that a few people from New York have just arrived at your office and are looking over Charlie's equations. He'd probably want you both there soon."

"That's good…" Don took a huge bite of his toast and swallowed it quickly. His father's home cooked meals were always the best medicine for an exhausting case. "This is excellent, dad… Thanks."

"No problem. Every now and then I like to feed my boys." Alan stabbed at his own plate and looked over cautiously at his other son, wondering what had happened to make them both so quiet the night before. Something must have happened to Charlie, and after all, Don knew that the best place for him to rest would be under his own roof. "How did you sleep, Charlie? I hope it wasn't too cold in your room. I've felt a draught somewhere and I've been meaning to fix it."

"It wasn't too cold." Charlie said suddenly, his voice sounding hollow. Don glanced at him worriedly, feeling protective over his little brother once again. Charlie sighed and stuffed a piece of egg into his mouth. "I slept alright, dad. I woke up about half an hour ago, and not from the best dream… but I slept through the night. And that's at least refreshed my brain enough for me to get to work today."

"Have you sorted it all out with your lectures and stuff?" Don asked carefully, not wanting to stress his brother further. Charlie didn't need to juggle two responsibilities at the same time, especially when it was Don's case that he was working on in the middle of the semester. Don didn't want Charlie to feel as though he was neglecting his students.

"Yes, I've called in and made sure that my lectures are covered for the next two days. In fact, I've called Amita and asked her to come in and give me a hand. She's been asking about Larry a lot, and somehow I feel like she should know what's really going on, especially with Terry…"

Charlie stopped, and there was a sudden silence. Don reached over and touched his arm gently, "We're going to find her, buddy. We're going to dig up everything we know about Chambers and his men, and then you can use that to find their location. Terry's going to be fine."

Don seemed to be reassuring himself a bit more than he realized, and Charlie noticed that. He gave his brother a small smile and took another stab at breakfast. Alan looked on quietly, feeling a sense of gladness that his sons were able to work so closely together and still be friends.

&&&&

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Don called out over the din, as soon as all the agents on the floor had gathered around his desk. Charlie was standing beside him, a little disheveled certainly, but the determined look on his face garnered him votes of confidence from the FBI agents scrutinizing him. "Some of you might not have heard the true account of last night's events, and we can't have that if we're going to work together as a team to locate Agent Lake and her kidnappers."

Some people nodded; crossing or uncrossing their arms as they waited to hear Don's side of the story. It was seven o' clock in the morning, and as most of them had gone home or to their hotels to get some well-deserved sleep, the atmosphere was a lot lighter and less tense than the day before. David was standing near the front of the group, biting a corner of his lip as he studied Don and Charlie's faces. The night before, when he had heard Don's weary voice outside the meeting room, he had been filled with fear at the thought of Terry being hurt. David knew that Charlie had been on the phone with Chambers when she was being beaten, and he felt sorry for the young man. _Poor Charlie… I feel like I shouldn't even have involved him in all this! But he's not delicate, and we couldn't have kept this case away from him anyway, what with Terry being his friend, too._

"Last night we received news that Robert Lee, a man who knew the fifth pass number to access MINOTAUR, died from a heart attack resulting from a long term condition. Less than five minutes after the FBI learnt this information, Chambers called my cell phone claiming that he knew one of the members of Delta Blue had 'died without warning' and that even if we gave them the other three names, they would be unable to access the mainframe."

Don paused and cast a fleeting glance at Charlie. He had his hands his pockets, and was staring at the ground. When Don suddenly stopped talking, Charlie looked up quickly, only to meet his brother's eyes. He knew that Don was still worried about his reaction to what had happened the night before, but it had to be said. Charlie nodded and shifted his eyes to the agents who were watching them restlessly.

"For all of you who might not have been formally introduced, this is my brother, Professor Charles Eppes." Thirty or so pairs of eyes shifted from one Eppes face to the other as he gave them all a small nod. Don continued, "He has worked with both the NSA and the FBI, and has helped us many times to solve crimes that initially we thought were unsolvable using his expertise. Professor Eppes specializes in advanced mathematics and physics, and has been working on finding the location where Chambers and his men are holding Agent Lake."

There were a few skeptical glances at Charlie from the sea of eyes in front of them, but Don knew that their cynicism wouldn't last for long. Sure, sometimes Charlie didn't look old enough to vote, but that didn't distract anyone from the fact that he was very, very smart.

"Last night, Chambers asked to speak to Professor Eppes and he demanded for him to use equations to determine the four remaining pass numbers. When Chambers was told that it was an impossible task he…" Don paused and took a deep breath, trying to find his words. "He ordered his men to attack Agent Lake and she was hurt." _There, that's it. Now everyone knows, and we can start work on finding her…. _

_But that was harder than I thought. _

Charlie saw that his brother was faltering and quickly spoke up, "I know it is impossible for us to determine the pass numbers to access this program through equations, and therefore we won't waste our time with that. My coworker Larry Fleindhart, who is also a member of Delta Blue, informed me that each password contains a different number of digits, and one or more of these passwords contains letters. Therefore we will keep our focus on using all known information about these men to finding out the most probable place for them to be hiding. Now…" he looked at the FBI agents with their furrowed brows and asked gingerly, "Can we get to work?"

&&&&

"Charlie!" A familiar voice interrupted Charlie's thoughts as he was leafing through a stack of papers that Don had given to him. He turned around quickly, wondering if there had been any breakthroughs. To his surprise, he saw Amita walking towards him with a very worried expression on her face. Don was by her side, and judging by the expression on his face, he had given her a quick summary of what had happened over the last three days. But he was glad to see her anyway- Charlie knew that he had been giving everyone the cold shoulder ever since Terry was kidnapped and he felt glad that he could make up for that with Amita.

"Hey Amita…" Charlie smiled and put down the sheet that he was reading to receive a friendly hug from his student. He wasn't sure what he should say to her. Don still had that look on his face; the look that he had that morning when he told everyone that Terry had been attacked. Amita would obviously notice - Charlie had realized that women (or perhaps just Terry and Amita) were experts at 'figuring out what Don and I are not saying by the looks on our faces'. Don appeared weary, and when he excused himself to speak to David, both Charlie and Amita had worried expressions in their eyes.

"We've all missed you, Charlie. All your students have been wondering where you've been, but I think the dean's made up something about you being ill. Anyway, Larry's at home now… he hasn't left the house for three days. I think he's getting a little bored." Amita spoke slowly, wringing her fingers as she did, "Look, Charlie… I heard about what happened to Terry and I just wanted to say that it's not your fault that they did what they did. You shouldn't feel guilty."

"Don feels guilty, doesn't he?" Charlie looked back at the paper, skimming over the words. _Chambers, Mark… Chambers, Martin…Chambers, Matthew… there so many people named Chambers! I wonder how the FBI means to narrow down their search. He could be using an alias anyway…_

"Yes." Amita answered without hesitation, trying to meet Charlie's eyes as she spoke, "He feels guilty about almost everything that has happened. Don was telling me about how Terry was kidnapped, and about the letter she got from them that he didn't know about until the morning after. Every time he mentioned her name, he just had this really sad look in his eyes… and I felt so sorry for him. He hasn't talked to anyone, I presume. Could _you_ maybe talk to him… and try get him to say something?"

"I wouldn't know what to say." Charlie replied honestly, finally looking up from the endless list of names that he was reading. "You and I both know Don's practically married to his work… but I think that's partly because his job's the only thing that keeps him tied to Terry. He's very attached to her, if you understand what I mean. I don't know when I first realized it, but I think you'll agree with me when I say that Don's been in love with her since they met at the Academy. And when you love someone a lot, you end up feeling guilty for everything bad that happens to them."

Amita chewed on her bottom lip, feeling incredibly sorry for Don's suffering. Of course she had known that he loved Terry, but she had doubts about those feelings being merely one sided. She had seen the way the two acted around each other. And Charlie's uncommonly sensitive talk proved that he too, felt guilty over what had happened to the blonde, petite FBI agent. "Anyway, I'm here to help." She changed the subject quickly. Don appeared to be heading their way with some files and an FBI agent from Washington. They were talking very rapidly, a sign that maybe something was up. "Could you maybe bring me up to speed on what you've found out so far?"

"Yeah, sure…" Charlie put down the paper and led Amita to the whiteboard. On it was a map of LA and its neighboring cities. "So far all we have tried to determine what type of building they are most likely to hide in. And according to our estimations of how many men there are, the type of equipment they would have, as well as the vehicle they would have had to use for murder and kidnapping, we figured that either a warehouse or a large shop would be the most probable place. Now, we've managed to eliminate every warehouse within a radius of eight miles from the FBI building. I know that doesn't really help much… but it's a start."

Amita grinned and surveyed how Charlie's fingers were jumping over the map, showing her the warehouses that they had highlighted, "Okay, what else?"

"Well, we know that they can't have taken Terry very far, because they called us about eight hours after kidnapping her and were already using their scrambling equipment. There's a very high probability that wherever their equipment is, they're hiding there. Moving around with bulky equipment would be too risky. We've checked all the flights in this area, both commercial and private, and so far we're fairly certain that they haven't left the country. Other than that…" Charlie sighed and ran a hand through his hair restlessly, "We've got nothing."

"Hey Charlie, Amita… I'm sorry to interrupt, but this might be important." Don walked up quickly to the two of them facing the map and introduced the brown haired man standing next to him, "This is Agent Stan Ford from Washington DC. He thinks that he may have information on Chambers from a previous case, and whatever it is it might help to narrow down the places he might be staying."

Agent Ford nodded and shook their hands quickly, "Hi there. If both of you would please, come with me… I have something to show you." He led them around a few desks and chairs to Lydia, the technician, who was sitting in front of a computer and typing like there was no tomorrow. A picture was on the screen, a blurry image of a black van parked in front of a lamp post. "Before I show you what we have on Chambers, we thought you should see this. Security cameras outside the building next to Agent Lake's apartment block took this footage, although it's not very clear because we had to zoom in a great deal. Anyway, a van that looks similar in color, make and model was also captured on film parked in the alley beside Jacob Street Café, a shop that is very close to the firm where James Well, Henry Clear and Andrew Sienna worked. It might be a coincidence, but then again it might not."

Out of the corner of his eye, Charlie saw Don fidget in excitement. Lydia cocked her head slightly and frowned at what the FBI agent from Washington said. "I think I can focus the image better," she clicked on the blurry image taken from outside Terry's apartment and enlarged it. "You see, this one had a number plate on it, but we can't see the digits properly. There's a program that I can run to isolate the darker colours from the lighter ones so that we can a license plate number. That would help you, wouldn't it?"

"Could you do that, Lydia? Thank you." Don was almost hopping. Lydia nodded and got to work immediately. Agent Ford took Charlie and Amita to another desk where a stack of files was sitting. Don followed them hurriedly, not wanting to miss any more news. Things were finally going their way. Thoughts of Terry continued to plague him, and he had to keep pushing them out of his mind in order to concentrate. _Just hold on, Terry… I'm coming. _

"About three years ago, in Washington DC," Agent Ford handed Charlie a file which read 'Adler Case, 2002', "A man named Joseph Adler was murdered in his home. There was no sign of forced entry, and the cause of death was a single bullet wound to his right temple. There was a long list of suspects because Mr. Adler was a drug smuggler who appareantly had a lot of enemies. Even after almost six months working on the case, investigators found nothing that could nail a single suspect, and the murder could not be solved."

Charlie handed the file to his brother, who flicked through the report restlessly. Ford continued, "What we learnt very recently was that Adler had been running out of funds for his latest deal, and he was looking for a way to scrounge money from… well, just about anyone who had it. According to our sources, he was in talks with a man named _Michael Chambers_ who apparently promised that he would be able to access infinite amounts of money if Adler funded his operation. In Adler's house and office we found no trace of information on Delta Blue or MINOTAUR, but we did find some papers on James Well." Ford took out a few pieces of paper and showed them to Charlie. The sheets were about Well's work outside of his law firm, such as his interest in computing and his friendship with a group of people who worked in scientific and mechanical fields. Although there was no mention of MINOTAUR, a highlighted paragraph in a page read about a computer program that Well was rumored to be hiding that 'would change the networking world forever with its incredible ability to access any form of information'.

"We think that Chambers killed Adler after he received his payment and additional information on James Well. He's disappeared from Washington, and we've got no records to show that he even lived there. No rent payments, no hotel billing… it was as if he never was there. But Adler was killed with the same MO as your four victims, and because of the circumstantial evidence we have reason to believe that the man who kidnapped Agent Lake is Michael Chambers."

"Hello, over there!" Lydia's voice called to them excitedly. Don, Charlie and Amita practically ran to her side as she continued typing at a furious pace, "I've got a plate number, and I'm running it on the system…" she paused as digits ran down the page for about fifteen seconds before stopping. A window popped up, and Lydia enlarged it quickly. "Your black van belongs to a Jeremy Davis. Registered in Washington DC… He has a record for theft, possession of a concealed weapon, drug use and….well, what do we have here?"

She double-clicked on a link that read 'Family members', and a new window opened. Charlie blinked several times in surprise, and pointed swiftly at one of the names on the list, "Look here! Under 'stepbrother'… the name is Michael B. Chambers."

&&&&

"Authorities in a small town about forty miles from here have surveillance tapes showing a black SUV with the number plate we're looking for stopping for gas as 6:23 AM yesterday. They can't be far from there." Don rushed over to his brother, handing him pictures taken of the van by security cameras in the petrol station. "If they called us at eight in the morning precisely, they can't have been traveling for more than an hour and half after that."

Charlie headed to the map at top speed, pushing the photos into Amita's hands as he studied the area around the small town. "Here. This has to be it," Don looked to where Charlie's finger pointed. It was a small warehouse belonging to Krueger Shipping Ltd. "There's no other warehouse or shop nearby, and if they traveled for about one hour at 55 mph after stopping for petrol, this is where they should have ended up."

"Are you sure, Charlie?" Don's fingers were trembling as he studied the map. _Just hold on a minute longer, Terry…_ "It'll take too long to send teams by road to that area, so we'll have to send in choppers there. You know choppers make a _lot_ of noise… and if these hear us getting to the wrong place, they'll take everything and leave, and _we'll never be able to catch them again_."

Charlie looked back at the map, biting his lip. He hadn't hesitated for a second when he told Don which warehouse they would have to be hiding. _They have to be there… it's the most probable location. _He had noticed the stress that Don placed on the last eight words. But he understood why his brother was double checking with him. _It's not because he doesn't trust me. If they disappear, they're not going to take Terry with them. If I'm wrong about this, she'll be dead by the time the FBI finds her. _Charlie let out a deep breath and turned his head to face his brother.

He nodded. "I'm sure, Don. This _is_ the place. Send in the helicopters."

TBC

Sorry to stop here… is that too mean? Oh well… please review, and I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Ah, the suspense… But don't worry; the next chapter will be up soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. It's a sad truth, but I am making no money from this.**

Hello again! Reviews make me happy … and I'd just like to thank everyone for your support! Lots of things happen in this chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys the action!

* * *

"Agent Eppes, what is your position?" Ford's voice crackled through the speaker as Don sat in the helicopter, his heart beating at the speed of light as he looked out the window. _I'm going to find you, Terry. I promised I would. And I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you._

"I'm five miles from our target, Agent Ford." Don spoke over the din of the helicopter blades, taking deep breaths to keep him steady, "Are all units ready?"

"All units ready and waiting, sir." Ford answered, "SWAT teams have already been dispatched to give us backup. Our landing commences in five minutes."

"Good." Don couldn't find the voice to say much more. "Thank you, Agent Ford." He had never felt so nervous before a raid in all his years as an FBI agent. Don shut his eyes for a moment and forced himself to stay calm. _Terry needs me to remain focused. I can't let her down now._

But… what if they were wrong? What if the four helicopters full of trained FBI agents were headed for the wrong place? What if they were placing all their confidence in a black van that had nothing to do with Chambers at all? What if Charlie was wrong?

What if… by the time they reach them, Terry was already dead?

Don tried not to think about it. They had to be right. Charlie was so certain. So certain, in fact, that he was sitting in one of the other three helicopters wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a map. Don couldn't talk him out of coming- he knew that Charlie had to make sure that Terry was alright. He wouldn't rid himself of that guilt until he saw her alive. And Don understood how his brother felt.

Don knew that if the operation failed and Terry was killed, that he would never be able to look at himself in a mirror ever again. He would have failed her- and that would be the worst thing that he could ever commit. _I have to save her… _He had been thinking for so long that when he next looked out the glass window, Don saw their designated landing area just a few meters ahead. _This is it. She has to be here…_

"Prepare for landing, gentlemen." The pilot's voice brought back to his senses as he looked at the three other agents sitting beside him.

"Are you ready, people?" Don made sure his rifle was loaded, stealing a quick glance out the window. He pressed a button on his speaker and connected to Agent Ford. "Agent Ford, Unit One is landing. We will check the perimeter. Do not move until I give the order, understood?"

"Understood, sir," Ford said, his dependable voice making Don feel calmer, "Units Two, Three and Four will await your orders. The SWAT teams are on their way, and should be with us in four and a half minutes."

"Good. And Ford?" Don looked over at his team and made sure that they were all prepared. "Please make sure that my brother _does not_ leave the chopper. He is unarmed and has no prior training. Just… keep him in there, whatever happens."

"Done, sir."

&&&&

Terry closed her eyes, willing herself to keep breathing. It hurt so much to take deep breaths that she had to force herself to voluntarily inhale and exhale. Luckily, none of the men had decided to give her any extra attention that day. The little 'office' was buzzing with the sound of electronics and computers- which meant that Raspy Voice and his men were keeping themselves busy. That was good for her, but it probably meant bad news for the FBI. She knew what they wanted of Charlie, and as much as she respected his talents, Terry doubted that he could magically attain all four passwords using math. She wondered what the FBI was planning to do about it. Don would think of something to do, that much was sure… But what if he was too late?

She wasn't tied up anymore, thank God. That would have hurt like hell. Those men knew that the nearest she would get to escaping their clutches was to crawl a few inches in the direction of the door. Where _was_ the door anyway? Terry just had no idea where she was. It was all so frustrating. She tried to make herself sit up, but it seemed twenty times harder than normal. She was just _exhausted_. When was the last time she had something to eat, or drink? Terry knew that whatever Raspy Voice was planning to do next, he did not expect to keep her alive for very much longer.

Terry wasn't really sure what it was, but suddenly she felt as though the walls were shaking. Her body was pressed right up against the wall, and she could feel it so evidently that she wondered why no one else seemed to pay it any attention. What if it was an earthquake? Terry tried to shift her position without further damaging her ribs- she was sure that at least one was broken. Even though her entire left side hurt, Terry knew had sustained enough injuries working for the FBI to recognize what a broken rib felt like. Wincing, she pressed her ear against the wall to attempt to hear what was going on outside.

Her eyes widened as she realized what had made the rumbling noise. It was such a familiar sound that Terry almost cried with relief. _Helicopters! Don..! _She twisted a little to get her ears closer to the wall, trying to be as soundless as possible so that the men would not notice anything out of the ordinary. _Could it be…? Could it be that the FBI finally located us? _Terry wanted very much to believe it, but what were the chances? They had a scrambler… it was impossible to trace their calls. She could not allow herself to hope… there was no way they could possibly find her…

"What was that?" One of Raspy Voice's henchmen stood up and walked towards the walls hurriedly, "There's something outside…"

Terry froze suddenly. The noise was getting louder, and it was obvious now that it was a helicopter that had landed nearby. _Oh god, they're getting their guns out! _She turned her head to get a better view of what the men were doing, and sure enough they had pulled out all their weapons and were loading them rapidly. If the FBI was outside, Don would be with them. What if he got hurt? Terry wouldn't be able to bear it if he was injured or _killed_ trying to arrest her kidnappers. _Oh please… Don, please just keep of harm's way!_

"Get the girl, quickly!" Raspy Voice hissed, as the sound of voices from outside grew louder. Terry's heart raced as one of the men grabbed her and pulled her upwards. Her side burst with pain as her left arm was yanked roughly, and she stifled a scream. Terry realized that she wasn't presented with much choice- either she go with them or die there. Without stopping to take any of their equipment, the men jumped into the van. Raspy Voice lunged into the driver's seat and the man holding Terry pushed her into the back of the vehicle and jumped in after her.

"Oh God…" There were voices from outside that could be heard clearly now. _This is the FBI! Please release your hostage immediately from the building. Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up… _Terry fell over as the van lurched in reverse- obviously the men were not going to pay very much attention to the FBI's demands. Although she was the one who in a vehicle with five armed and very dangerous men inside, her thoughts were all with her co-workers who were most probably outside. _Don, David… Please don't put yourself in danger. Please… _Clutching her side and wishing that her head would stop spinning so madly, Terry tried to steady herself as Raspy Voice reversed the van straight through the double doors that she finally noticed, which served as an entrance and exit to the warehouse.

The doors burst without much resistance, and the inside of the van was suddenly flooded with light. Although there was not much of an impact force, Terry found herself struggling to stay conscious once more. She couldn't see the outside; she was sprawled on the floor and the windows were way above her line of sight. However, she could hear shouts from the agents outside- yelling at the men to stop the vehicle. _Anytime now, one of these men is going to start shooting. _Cold sweat running down her forehead, Terry pressed herself closer to the ground to keep herself as far away from the line of fire as possible. Shaking, she heard the men in the seats in front of her lower their windows.

The first shots were all aimed at the FBI agents outside. _Don't shoot! _Terry wanted to yell. _Just let me go and let them take you in! _She knew that Don wouldn't have brought only one team with him if he was here- there were going to be at least ten other armed agents, and there were only five men who were holding her. There was no chance that they could escape, so what were they fighting for? Suddenly, shots punctured the van. One man fell with a cry, clutching his arm as his gun clattered to the ground. The other four men, including the driver, did not slow down their gunfire.

Two loud 'BANG' noises from the front of the vehicle made Terry look up for a moment. _The tires are punctured…_ Raspy Voice cursed and tried to move the car, pressing his foot on the accelerator only to get a few useless jerks. The van was stuck. But the men around her didn't care; they simply reloaded their weapons and continued firing. _These men are so determined not to go down without a fight, _She couldn't help but notice. _They don't care that they're outnumbered and have no means of escape. _

"Put your weapons down!" It was Don's voice! Terry's head spun wildly as she fought to keep herself under control. It was over for these men, but she knew they wouldn't give up. They would rather die than get caught and sent to prison. _Don, get out of the way…! _She wanted to scream. These people would kill him! "You're surrounded, and SWAT teams are just a few seconds from here! Put your weapons down and get out of the vehicle!"

Suddenly, a shot from outside penetrated the side of the van. Terry screamed as the bullet scraped her leg and embedded itself in the chest of the man sitting beside her. She clutched her leg tightly, trying to stop her bleeding, as her blood seeped through her fingers. "STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!" Don's voice suddenly yelled. "She's at the back of the van! Aim and fire at the men that you can _see_… just STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!"

Two men down… Terry could hear her own breathing, so loud that it drowned out everything that was happening around her. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion- sights, sounds… everything.

The thud of the bullets hitting the van- right in front of her

The scream from the man sitting beside the driver, when he was shot in the chest

The sound of Don's voice, yelling for the agents to get her out of the van

The whir of the helicopter blades as two more units landed nearby

And suddenly… the sound of the back door opening; and fresh sunlight finally meeting her eyes.

&&&&

Don ducked and dodged two shots in his direction. He knew that he had at least four bullets embedded in his vest, but didn't stop him. Two of the five men were still firing at the FBI agents, but they didn't stand a chance. SWAT teams were already landing, and what did two men have against twenty five specially trained agents and SWAT officers? Don couldn't see how many agents were injured, but those around him were still going strong.

Three agents started firing at the back of the van, after noticing that some bullets seemed to be fired from there. _Where is Terry? _Five agents had already checked the inside of the building for her, and for any other men, but it was deserted. _She must be in the van…_ Suddenly, as though answering his unspoken question, there was a horrible scream coming from inside the van. Terry! Terry was in the back! Don's almost froze when he heard her scream, but he couldn't lose his head now. He had to make them stop firing at her!

"STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!" He yelled, ordering the men to aim at the men that they could actually aim for and not those that they couldn't see. The bullets from the back of the van seemed to have stopped, which probably meant that they had injured one of the shooters. _Terry… Please be alright…! _Don ran over to the back, hoping that the other agents were covering him, as he shouted, "Get her out of the van, quickly!"

The sound of helicopters landing did nothing to slow him down. He needed to get Terry out of the van, if she was still alive. Don struggled to keep focused as he and two other agents pulled open the back door. _Please be alive, please…_ Pressed right against the back door of the van, a man was slumped over, blood running out through a wound in his chest. His gun was beside him, still smoking. The two agents pulled him out, exposing a shaking woman lying behind him, her hands clutching her thigh. Her eyes were fixed on him, a combination of fear, anxiety, and relief etched in her features. It was like the whole world had stopped moving.

Don reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her nearer to him. He knew it must have hurt her, because she grimaced and shook even more violently. But he had too… he didn't have any other choice. Don hated to hurt her. She grasped his shoulders, her bloodied fingers staining his vest and her tears falling on his neck. Hearing the SWAT officers running their way, Don picked her up in his arms and ran for the nearest helicopter, away from the line of fire.

"I need a medic!" Don shouted, as he ran towards the landing area. The pilot of Unit Three's helicopter waved at him frantically through the glass, and two paramedics jumped with a stretcher, rushing to Terry's side. She was still clutching onto Don's shoulders, trembling uncontrollably. "Terry… It's okay. It's going to be okay." He kneeled down and gently peeled her fingers off his vest. The paramedics lay her on the stretcher and lifted her up without hesitation, running back to the helicopter.

"Ford…!" Don almost yelled into the speaker, connecting to the agent from Washington. "I've got my partner. Do you have the situation under control?" He needed to see Terry… he needed to hold her hand and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She was shot in the leg… All that blood on her fingers made him feel so nauseas because it was _her_ blood and he needed for her to be okay… _Just hang on, Terry…_

"We've got everyone out of the vehicle, Agent Eppes. Two of them are dead. The other three are going to be escorted to the hospital. There's no other person in sight and we got them pretty much by surprise. It's all under control, sir." Ford sounded calmed, as though he hadn't been very sure whether or not he would make it through the gunfire. Don breathed a sigh of relief as he ran on board the helicopter. They were going to leave without him if he stayed for another minute…

"Good. Agent Sinclair will take care of things from here. I'm riding with my partner to the hospital right now, and I'll report back to the office once I know the extent of her injuries." _Terry's got to be okay. She's a fighter and she'll fight anything. _

"Taking off…" The pilot's drone did nothing to stop the paramedics from quickly wrapping gauze around Terry's thigh to stop the bleeding. The sweater that she was wearing had blood all over it. Don tried his best to stay out of their way, but what he _really_ wanted to do was sit beside her and hold her hands in his. It was such a nightmare, seeing her like this- pale, bloody, bruised and vulnerable. Don sat down heavily on the chair opposite the stretcher, feeling useless. _I wonder where Charlie is._ Don felt as though he could really use his younger brother's support now.

_You can't leave me, Terry. You just can't. My world would fall apart without you._

&&&&

Alan ran through the hospital looking for his sons. As usual, the place was in a state of panic, with people running here and there- calling out names and yelling for doctors and nurses. Charlie had called him from the FBI office, telling him that the killers had been caught and Terry had been rescued and flown into the hospital. Alan was so relieved. He couldn't even bring himself to imagine how destroyed Don would be if Terry was killed. And now… she was in the hospital, and he had no idea how severe her injuries were.

'_Don's with her,'_ Charlie had said to him on the phone, his voice shaking a little as he spoke. _'I don't know how she is but Don has turned his cell phone off or something… I'm going with David to find him. Please, dad, just come and help me talk to him. I'm afraid of what might happen.'_

And so was Alan. He was afraid of facing his elder son's worst nightmare. Terry Lake meant a great deal to his family, even though she might not have realized it. She was Charlie's friend, Don's confidant… and a very easy person for him to talk to, even about his boys. Alan couldn't bear if something bad had happened to her. He rushed over to the receptionist, breathing hard from running, "Excuse me… miss? Can I please see a young woman named Theresa Lake? She was just brought in about an hour ago and I…"

"She's in surgery right now, sir. You can't see her yet." The bored-looking receptionist seemed to be playing with some gum stuck in the corner of her mouth. _How could you possibly be bored working in such a hectic place like this? _"I think there are some people waiting for her on the second floor, where Dr Dean told them to hang tight. Take a left when you get out of the elevator."

"Thank you." Alan bolted to the elevator. _That means that she was alive when she got here… That's a good thing, right? _The doors were just about to shut on him, but he squeezed in between three harassed nurses and poked the '2' button. The three women stared at him, but Alan was too worried to return their skeptic glances. He needed to find his sons… When the elevator door opened at the second floor, Alan ran out like his pants were on fire.

_Take a left… take a left… _He pushed through the double doors that were blocking his way, dodging two doctors and a nurse before hearing familiar voices speaking softly, just around the corner.

"She'll be alright, Don…" Charlie's voice gently soothed his brother. "The bullet only _grazed_ her thigh. That's what all the blood was about. The nurse we just spoke to said that she didn't have any injuries that were usually fatal."

"Key word: usually," Alan could hear Don pacing around the corridor. "Terry has not eaten or drank anything in the last two days. Those men beat her up when she was _defenseless. _I wish I could believe in miracles, Charlie."

"You don't have to, Don." Charlie said, a little more sternly this time. "Don't be ridiculous. You're tired, worried, hungry… Basically you're a bit of a mess and you're brain's not working right. Terry is going to be fine. The doctors will fix her in surgery and… Dad!"

Alan pulled both his sons in a large hug as soon as he barged into the waiting area. Their heads knocked against one another a little, but none of the Eppes men seemed to care. Alan pulled away and took a long look at his eldest boy, putting his hands on Don's shoulders. Don looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Alan knew the strain he must be going through. _I guess I wasn't wrong about him having deeper feelings for her…_

"Hello. Which one of you is Don Eppes?" A friendly voice piped up from behind Alan. A pleasant-looking woman wearing surgical robes and carrying a pad of paper smiled at them and stuck out her hand. Don disentangled himself from his father's arm shook the woman's hand quickly. "I'm Dr Alice Dean. I just conducted surgery on Ms. Lake and she's now being taken to a room for her to rest. She's on painkillers and anesthetics now, so you won't be able to talk to her yet. I'm just here to tell you how she is."

Don almost fainted with relief. _That doesn't sound as though Terry's going to die anytime soon… The doctor didn't mention the ICU or anything. I hope that's good news! _"Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate you coming down." His voice was calmer now, he had regained his professional manner and Charlie let out a deep breath.

"You're welcome. Well," Dr Dean took out her notepad and looked at it carefully, "besides the exhaustion, hunger and dehydration which we can fix easily, Ms. Lake has sustained quite a few injuries that might put her out of work for about three or more weeks. She has a head injury due to being hit with a blunt object- no hemorrhage but some decent bruising and swelling that caused a minor concussion and may lead to headaches over the next week or so. Also… she has two broken, and one partly fractured, ribs on her left side with some surface injuries that led to bleeding and loss of blood. Finally, there's that laceration on her leg that caused quite a lot of bleeding, but we've fixed that up already. Ms. Lake is quite lucky that that her broken ribs did not puncture any vital organs; her heart and lungs are fine… and I think that given rest and proper medication she won't have any lasting physical pain."

Alan and Charlie both sounded stunned at the number of injuries that Terry had sustained, but Don seemed incredibly relieved. He slumped onto a chair and closed his eyes for a moment. _Terry's going to be fine! _If he wasn't so damned tired he would have jumped around the waiting room for joy. Alan sat next to him, anxious, and clasped his shoulder. "Donnie? Are you alright?"

Don's eyes snapped open suddenly, apparently not hearing what his father had just said. "Wait, Doctor…? Please, when can I see her?"

TBC

I hope that everyone enjoyed that chapter! It took a while for me to finalize what I wanted it to be like… anyway, the next chapter will tackle what's going to happen to Chambers and his merry band of contract killers. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. CBS does and they should all be happy, happy people.**

Hello all my wonderful readers! Thank you all for the positive reviews! Well… the story is almost coming to an end (I haven't decided how many more chapters I'm going to write, but I think that it's going to be at least two chapters before the end including this one). Anyway, for now just enjoy Chapter Ten!

* * *

He was holding her hand, hearing the beep, beep, beep of the machine next to her as he leaned forward in the chair and closed his eyes. It had been such a long day. _What time is it now? _The dark-haired man blinked tiredly and let his fingers run over the smooth skin of the young woman's knuckles. She looked so pale and lifeless, but the expression on her face as she slept was one of incredible calm. He took her hand and held it against his cheek, allowing himself to enjoy the coolness of her touch. "I'm so glad you're alright, Terry," he whispered fondly to her, brushing his lips hesitantly against the back of her hand. "You have no idea how relieved I am that I found you alive."

She was on a respirator, which scared Don initially, but the nurse told him that it was only going to be used as a precaution until she woke up. Her broken ribs might have caused her to have some difficulty breathing, but with rest and medicine it wouldn't last long. He wondered how long it would be before Terry could be released from the hospital. Don felt as though he really needed to talk to her. He needed to tell her things, in case one day it becomes too late for him to talk to her, and if that day came the regret would never pass. He remembered the minute it hit him that Terry might die at the hands of his kidnappers. Don was filled with fear that she would never know how much she meant to him.

_I've missed you. _Don released her hand and leaned back against the chair, letting out a deep breath. _I've missed talking to you, laughing with you, seeing you smile… and it's just been two days! What have you done to me, Terry? I can't even survive for two days without seeing your face! It's crazy. After Kim, I told myself that I couldn't ever fall in love again. And I haven't- I just never fell out of love with you. And now I've realized that I was such a fool to let you go._

"Don?" A voice coming from the door startled him from his reverie. David was standing at the door, carrying his jacket on his arm. He looked tired and anxious, his eyes flickering between Terry's sleeping form and Don's weary face. "Did you get yourself checked up? I saw a few bullets hit you this afternoon and you might have gotten some small injuries from that…"

"I'm fine, David. Thank you." Don interrupted quickly before the younger agent had a heart attack. He managed a small smile and motioned to David to sit down on one of the other chairs in the room. "The vest protected me well enough, and I've just got two bruises the size of peas on my chest. It's really nothing to worry about. Are _you_ alright?"

"Yeah…" David rolled the chair next to Terry's side and sat on it heavily. "No injuries. I was backing Units One and Two and I didn't get hit at all." He sighed and bit his lip. "I had to rush back to the office after dropping Charlie off, and it was ages before I got any news about Terry. It worried the hell out of me. Even from far off I heard when Terry screamed during the shoot-out. For a moment I thought we had killed her because… well I've never heard her scream before."

Don paused before answering. "She was just scared. The bullet gave her a scratch and killed the guy next to her. We all get scared sometimes, David. It's alright to be frightened. I'm just glad that the afternoon didn't end as badly as I imagined. Only two agents injured, and not too badly. Not that I want to get to the office tomorrow and face Merrick, though. I'd rather stay here and wait till Terry wakes up."

There was silence for a moment. "Merrick's given you the next few days off, by the way. You might want to call him about that, though- I'm not really sure how long your forced vacation is." David leaned back and relaxed a little after listening to Don's reply. "Anyway, I thought you'd like to know about Chambers and his men. The van that they were driving belonged to Chambers' stepbrother, Jeremy Davis. Jeremy was the man you pulled out of the back of the van. He's dead now, and so are two others; Evan and Gary Porter were both shot in the chest. They're brothers, by the way. Steve Hunter was the man who was seated next to the driver's seat, and he was shot in the arm and chest. Right now, he's in the ICU but the doctor said that he has a decent chance of survival. And… last but not least, Michael Chambers was shot twice- one bullet hit his shoulder and the other is embedded in his spinal cord. He's in the ICU as well, but even if he survives he'll be a quadriplegic. Those two are going to have a real fun time in prison."

Don chuckled but there was no laughing gleam in his eyes. He shifted his glance back to Terry's face and his eyes clouded a little. David could almost see the speed at which Don's mind was racing as he looked over the lump on her head and the bruises on her arms. "Chambers got what he deserved." Don said, picking up Terry's hand and squeezing it gently. "He'll never hurt anyone again…"

Although the sentence was left hanging, David knew exactly what Don had wanted to say. _He'll never hurt Terry again_. He put a hand on Don's shoulder lightly, seeing the tired circles under his eyes. "Go home, Don. Get some rest. You don't have work tomorrow so you can come here and wait till she wakes up. I'll stay here for a while more."

Don nodded and released Terry's hand slowly. "Yes, I suppose I can't really do much now. Ford called me and said that all Chambers' equipment has been taken to the lab to be analyzed. Apparently they found a lot of information to put those people away for a long time. Anyway, I can't interrogate Chambers until he's well enough to get out of the hospital. I might as well have a bit of a break for the next few days."

He got up and shook David's hand, giving him a friendly smile. "Don't stay too late, David. You look tired too." David managed a grin before turning his attention back to Terry. Don and Terry weren't just his colleagues and mentors, they were also his friends. It mattered to him what happened to them. It also mattered what happened between them…

Don was at the door, but he couldn't take his eyes off his partner's face. David looked at him curiously, wondering whether or not he should say anything. Don looked as though a million thoughts were running through his head at once as he stared, unblinking, at Terry Lake's still form. _He really does love her._ David thought, choosing not to interrupt his friend's silence. _I wonder why he's never made a move. I mean, screw the rules. When you really love someone, nothing should make you back off._

As if he had forgotten that David was ever there, Don took three big strides towards the bed and leaned over, planting a swift kiss on Terry's white cheek. Then he straightened up, took one last long look at her, and practically ran out of the room.

David stared after him in astonishment. He was speechless.

&&&&

Charlie and Larry were sitting in the hospital room playing chess. So far, no one seemed to be winning, but each man was planning the next twelve moves in order to checkmate their opponent. The middle-aged nurse who had passed by several times that afternoon wondered at how they could concentrate so hard for so long. The two brains were completely focused on their game. They were so absorbed in fact, that they didn't even notice that Terry had woken up until she managed a very loud cough.

"Terry!" They both exclaimed at the same time. Larry had been very glad to hear that Chambers and his men would not be planning any killing sprees for the rest of their lives in prison, and was relieved to finally be allowed to leave his house. He stepped forward and gave Terry a hug, trying not to squeeze her head too hard. Charlie had lost the dark circles under his eyes, and was looking very glad to see her awake. _If only Don was here…_ he thought, grinning at the idea. Terry looked at him suspiciously over Larry's shoulder, noticing the cheeky expression on his face.

Larry finally released her and stepped aside for Charlie to give her a gentle squeeze. "I'm so glad you're alright, Terry." He said softly, meaning every word. Terry smiled into his hair and patted his arm kindly. "How are you feeling?" Charlie moved back and helped her to sit up more comfortably.

"Tired, but better." She answered truthfully, wincing at the effort of pushing herself up. "My side hurts a little, but it'll get better soon." Charlie flinched slightly at the mention of her sore ribs. He hadn't forgotten how she had gotten injured, and he wasn't going to forget for a very long time. Larry looked down suddenly, feeling slightly ashamed that he hadn't been able to help when they needed it most. He had just been sitting at home, waiting for news, with the two burly FBI agents guarding the doors. When Charlie had told him, shaky and guilt-stricken, about the kidnappers hurting Terry, Larry had never felt so useless. He was so relieved now that Terry was fine, and that their lives would soon be closer to normal.

"Don's at the office, by the way." Charlie said, knowing that Terry was wondering where her partner was. "He's got a two weeks off, but he's just there finishing up some paperwork. I think he'll be here in an hour or so, to have lunch with us. But then…"

The nurse popped in suddenly, interrupting what Charlie was about to say. "You're awake!" She waddled over to Terry cheerfully and checked the stats on the machine sitting next to her. "And about time, too... So many young men have been coming here to see you I was wondering when you might realize you had company."

Terry looked a little skeptical, but Charlie laughed and said, "It's true! All the FBI agents who worked on this case came to visit you and give their best wishes for your health. Don was here most of the time, so it's a bit odd that you chose to wake up the moment he decides to head to the office. My dad had to practically drag him out of that chair, next to your bed." He turned to the nurse and asked in a slightly more serious tone of voice. "When do you think she can head home?"

"Soon enough." The nurse said, fluffing up the pillows behind Terry's head so that she could rest comfortably. Terry couldn't help but notice how much Charlie grinned when he mentioned Don's frequent visits. _Maybe I'm not the only one who hasn't forgotten what we had at the Academy… _she thought hopefully. "I'd say in about a day or two you'll be fit to be taken home. Bear in mind that the doctor wants you to rest for at least two weeks before you even think of going to the office. Field duty is absolutely out of the question for a month at least. You hit your head pretty hard there, dear, and those ribs shouldn't take strain for a while."

Terry nodded ruefully. She'd miss seeing her colleagues at work, especially Don and David. She couldn't imagine not sitting at her desk for two weeks! The longest Terry had been away because of an injury was one week, and she had been bored out of her mind. She must have borrowed all of Don's DVDs and watched them all twice. He had been very willing to part with them, though, which was fortunate for her. "Oh well… at least I get to go home soon."

"True." Charlie paused and exchanged a look with Larry. "However, I've been given orders by my dad to order _you_ to come to dinner every night. Apparently he thinks you need feeding. I'm not sure about what that actually translates to… but well, you're the psychologist."

Terry was suspicious. She remembered Alan inviting Amita to dinner every night and Don mentioning that it was his father's way of attempting to make her and Charlie pursue and non-professional relationship. He hadn't stopped teasing Charlie about it for weeks. _Oh Mr. Eppes… What are you trying to do? _

"We'd better go and let you rest." Larry said kindly, packing up the chess pieces. "You're still recovering; even if you feel better now you still need medication and care. I hope it won't be too long before we see you at Charles' house for dinner, Terry."

They said their goodbyes and left the room, their moods lifted at the sight of Terry's smiling face. Before leaving the hospital, Charlie felt as though he needed a drink. The soft drink machine was just next to the reception, so he walked over and inserted a few coins into the slot. He grabbed his drink and was about to turn around and rejoin Larry when he heard a man's voice coming from the counter.

"Excuse me, Miss? Which room is Theresa Lake in?" Charlie wasn't surprised to hear that more people were going to visit Terry. Some of the agents from out of state were returning to their homes later that day and might have decided to check on her for the last time before they left. Charlie opened his drink and took a large gulp, strolling away from the machine.

But the man's next words stopped him in his tracks, making Charlie's eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh, I'm just visiting to see how she is." There was a pause as the receptionist rustled some papers, "Well… I'm not sure if I'm on her emergency contact list but… I'm her husband."

&&&&

Don walked to Terry's room feeling in a much better mood than the day before. If not for the grouchy nurses and harassed doctors running through the corridors, he would be whistling. Charlie had called him and told him that Terry had woken up and looking forward to seeing him. For some reason, he sounded a little distracted on the phone. Not that that wasn't uncommon, though. Perhaps he had some equation in his head that he was trying to figure out.

He strolled down the corridor cheerfully; glad to be able to talk to Terry. It was only going to be a matter of time before she could go home- and _then_ he could attempt to have a good long chat with her. Don knew that he needed to face telling her how he felt, even if he feared her rejection. What he was going through before the raid was dangerous and he knew it. He had been frightened, anxious and afraid to lose her. Don knew that he had been willing to jeopardize everything in the operation to get her out alive. And that had not been his job. His job had been to arrest Chambers and his men. Whatever happened to Terry would be considered unfortunate, but would just be one of the hazards of being an FBI agent. Don knew that he needed to tell her- even if it was just a warning for her to watch out for him…

He stopped walking and paused outside the room. There was someone already in her room, which wasn't surprising. Terry was awake, and her face was turned away from the door. Her eyes seemed to be fixed on a point outside the window. There was a man sitting on the chair that Don usually sat on, and he was talking to her. Don frowned. There was something about her body language that made him uncomfortable. Terry was trying very hard not to meet her visitor's eyes and that was not something she normally did.

Unable to stand it any longer, Don knocked on the door and pushed it open. "Hey Terry… am I interrupting anything?" The other man in the room looked at Don curiously but made no move to stand up or greet him. Terry turned to face him and gave him a small smile. To his astonishment, he saw that there were unshed tears welling up in her eyes. Terry brushed them away quickly, looking abashed that he noticed them.

"No, you're not interrupting anything important, Don. Sit down… please?" Terry was looking at him with a strange expression in her eyes. He knew her well enough to decipher was she was silently telling him. She was uncomfortable being alone with this man, and she wanted him to stay. Don turned and faced her visitor, who was a man in his late thirties with neat blond hair and cold bleu eyes. He smiled and offered the man his hand.

"Hi, I'm Don Eppes. I'm Terry's partner." The man took Don's hand and shook it slowly, as though he wasn't sure what to say. Obviously he felt uncomfortable as well. But Don wasn't about to leave Terry with this person she so apparently did not want to talk to.

"Well… I'd better go and leave you to… rest, Terry. I'll see you later." The man picked up his coat and walked to the door hurriedly. At the door he stopped and turned around, trying to meet Terry's eyes. "We'll talk some other time, okay? Maybe tomorrow."

She didn't answer. Terry was staring at her hands, actually her fingers, to be more specific. Her hands were shaking as she used her thumb to feel the bareness of her ring finger. Don suddenly felt worried. The door was shut softly. Terry looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes. Don just realized that her visitor did not give him his name.

"You've just met my ex-husband." Terry said quietly, as though reading his thoughts. She stopped playing with her finger and tried to push herself up. Don hurried forward to help her, his mind spinning with a million questions. _What is he doing here? What does he want? What did he talk to you about? Why are you crying? _When was the last time he saw her wear her wedding ring?

"Terry…" Don took her hand and squeezed it, trying to find some words to say.

"He wants me to move back to Washington with him." She said, as she leaned back against her pillow and shut her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek, unchecked. "He said he left that woman- you know, the one he left _me _for. He wants us to work things out. He wants…"

Terry stopped suddenly and there was silence. Don's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and he found his breath was stuck in his throat. _What terrible timing… _He bit his lip, trying to think of something comforting that he could say. Something that would make her feel better… But before he knew it, he had blurted out the first thing that came to his head.

"You can't leave…!" Don halted and released her hand. He started twiddling his thumbs nervously. Terry looked at him strangely, wondering what had triggered this uncharacteristic behavior. He reached for her hand again and held it comfortingly. "I'm sorry. I should hear you out first. What do _you_ want to do?"

"I don't know. He broke my heart…" Terry looked down at Don's hand holding hers tightly and felt her heart flutter. He hadn't been so… so _tender_ for years. She missed it badly. "I know I married him. I'm _still_ married to him. When we got married… we did it for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health… I remember my wedding vows, and I remember his. And I keep thinking that he didn't keep his promises and now it might be too late to fix them..."

Her voice broke and she turned away so that Don wouldn't see her tears. He felt a twinge of hope when he realized that Terry wasn't so keen on having her heart broken twice by this man. But still… he wanted her to be happy. If being with her husband was going to make her happy… then Don knew he couldn't stand in her way. "Do you… do you still love him?"

Don was afraid of the answer. He didn't want to hear it, but he had to know. All he really wanted from this woman was hanging in the answer to this question. Terry glanced at him strangely, wondering if there was a hidden question behind his words. "I did love him once. And he said he loved me. But he did something to me that was unforgivable…" Don was surprised at the bitterness in her voice. "… And I know that I can never love him again."

TBC

Well… that's that for now. In most fanfics that I've read, Terry's husband is written as a really mean kind of guy so I thought I'd be different and make him seem a little nicer. Anyway… what do you think Terry's going to do- stay in LA or go to Washington? Hmm… I guess you'll just have to wait till the next chapter is posted! (Which will be soon, I hope)


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. CBS does and they should all be happy, happy people.**

Well hello again! I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter and have been looking forward to this one. I'm still not sure how many chapters I'll have before this story ends! Oh well… I might just have a long epilogue after this to tie up the loose ends. I really hope that everyone had a good time reading this story. If I get any more ideas for fanfics I might decide to write another, but for now… More than meets the eye will soon be coming to an end!

* * *

"Terry!" Alan Eppes zoomed in on her as soon as she stepped onto the front porch and gave her a big hug, careful to avoid the sore spots that his sons had warned him about. Terry smiled warmly and gave Alan a light kiss on the cheek. He was such a kind man... No wonder his sons turned out so well. "I'm so glad you could make it for dinner. I wasn't sure you'd be up to it so soon! Don and Charlie are just setting the table now. I'm not sure what Larry and Amita are up to but… I doubt I would understand anyway. Please, come in here and have a seat! I'll fix you a drink… Coffee?"

It was three days since Terry had been released from the hospital, and physically, she was a lot better. Sitting in the living room in Charlie's house and listening to the sounds of the brothers chatting in the kitchen made her feel a lot calmer. It was a familiar scene that relaxed her somehow. Terry sighed and pulled her hair out of the loose ponytail that she had crafted at home in an attempt to get rid of an oncoming headache.

Her emotions had been going haywire since meeting her husband in the hospital, and Terry knew that she was on an edge. His arrival had been so sudden, so unexpected. Back in the room, when she was on morphine and her head was already spinning, he had said "I left Natalie". And she remembered asking, in her drugged state- "Who's Natalie?" And then he told her. She couldn't speak to him, or even _look_ at him after that. _Why did he have to spring that on me like that? When I was already vulnerable… _But Don had been so kind, listening to her when she was blabbing like some idiot. Terry honestly wasn't sure what she should do. She married this man, but that didn't mean that she had to allow him back into her life after what he did to her. Being married was like having a duty to her husband… but was it really what she wanted, to go back to him? She didn't know _what_ she wanted. Terry rubbed her temples roughly as she leaned back against the sofa and shut her eyes, willing her headache to go away.

"Hey… are you feeling alright?" Don's worried voice coming from somewhere above her head startled her, and Terry jumped. She turned around and saw her partner holding a cup of coffee for her, his eyes skimming over the much smaller lump on her head with concern. Don set it down on the table in front of her and sat down lightly. Terry's eyes followed his hand as it slid slowly over her knee to grasp her fingers. For some reason, she had to struggle to swallow back the tears that were threatening to spill down her face. When was the last time Don was being so sensitive? _When we were at the Academy together…_ Terry mutely chastised herself for being such a sentimental fool. Those sweet Academy days were over and she knew it. Now she just had to stop being so nostalgic and at least _attempt _to face her demons with her husband. But it was so incredibly hard to keep focused with Don looking at her with those eyes and such a kind expression on his face…

"I was just thinking." She said, looking at him and feeling a smile creep into her face. Don had his eyebrow raised and was stroking her finger lightly. He didn't seem to notice what he was doing, but Terry wasn't about to tell him to stop. It felt… comforting, and nice. "About what I should be doing… I've been avoiding his calls for the last three days and I really don't know how long I can keep it up. It really seems like he wants to try again…" Terry paused and looked at Don curiously, wondering why he was chewing on his bottom lip like that. He only did that when he was very anxious, and what was there to be nervous now? She relaxed against the back of the chair and felt Don do the same. "But I don't know what I should do. I just don't want to make another mistake, you know?"

"Yeah," Don smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I understand. Hey, I'm glad you came here for dinner… Charlie and I cooked, did you know? It was quite a riot… Dad started getting really worried when we told him we needed to use the oven." He chuckled and was glad to see that Terry laughed with him. "But don't worry… everything should taste good, I hope."

Funnily enough, everything _did_ taste good. The whole table was in good spirits, and Terry was having a great time. It was hard to imagine that just a few days ago; she was at the mercy of five very dangerous men and that Larry had practically been placed on house arrest. With Larry, Amita, Charlie, Alan and Don talking and laughing and enjoying one another's company at the table, Terry forgot about her worries for a while and let herself enjoy the feast.

&&&&

"Did you drive yourself here, Terry?" Alan asked as he rinsed the dishes before sticking them in the dishwasher. Terry, Alan and Don were doing the dishes in the kitchen whilst the other three members of their party were having a very detailed (and to Don, very long-winded) conversation about the relationship between human anatomy and mathematics. No one was quite sure how that discussion was started, but at least _they_ seemed to be having fun.

"No, I took a taxi Mr. Eppes," Terry replied as she passed Don a glass to dry with a dishcloth. "I wasn't really feeling up to driving yet. But maybe in a few days…"

"I'll drive you back." Don offered quickly, putting the clean glasses back in the cupboard. He instantly regretted the interruption. Alan glanced at him with a slightly mischievous look but said nothing. A wide grin had plastered itself on his face. Fortunately for Don, Terry missed the look his father gave him and was drying her hands. "It wouldn't be a problem." Don gave his father the evil eye and shut the cupboard doors loudly, hoping to wipe that smirk off Alan's face.

"Thanks, Don." Terry said sincerely, touched by his concern. Don was really being such a knight. She wondered how long it would last, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watched him. He was so sweet. Alan closed the dishwasher and switched it on, still grinning manically. Terry looked at him suspiciously. The whole family seemed to be acting a little strange today.

After saying their goodnights and goodbyes, Terry and Don walked out to his van together. Don was whistling some tune that sounded familiar, but Terry felt that her brain was too tired to attempt at recognizing it. She slid into her seat and buckled up carefully, remembering to avoid her sore ribs. Her head wound was thumping slightly, but it was a lot easier to ignore it right then compared to just a few days ago. Anyway, she had to admit that none of her injuries seemed quite so painful with her partner acting like such a perfect gentleman. It was odd…

"Terry?" Don had started the vehicle and was backing it out of the driveway. He paused for a moment to ask her, "Do you feel like having some ice cream or something at my place?"

For some obscure, unknown reason, Terry heart began to speed up at an unbelievable pace. She had to mentally remind herself to keep breathing. However, before she had actually finished processing his words in her head, Terry heard herself saying, "Sure, why not? Chocolate ice cream would be nice." Don grinned happily and pulled out of the driveway, trying not to appear to be _too_ pleased that she had accepted.

_Stupid, stupid Lake… _Terry silently berated herself when she realized that it was too late to take back her words. Don seemed relieved that she had agreed, and Terry didn't want to make him feel as though she didn't appreciate his kindness. _He's your partner, for god's sake! Just because you think you're in love with him doesn't mean it's a good idea to hang around his apartment at night… even if he is being exceedingly nice to you at the moment._

"How is it like being back at your apartment now, Terry?" Don asked in an attempt to make conversation, as soon as the silence grew too long for him to bear. _I hope she doesn't feel obliged to accept my invitation… What the hell was I thinking anyway? Her husband's in town, for goodness' sake! But she doesn't seem to be too keen to move back with him and… STOP IT! Terry's your partner and your friend and she doesn't need you trying to mess with her life._

_But she would be making a mistake if she leaves LA… _Don couldn't help thinking. _Screw her duty to her husband or whatever. He'll never be able to love her like I would. And he'll never be able to protect her in the line of duty…_

Terry's reply interrupted his train of thought suddenly and Don almost forgot what he had asked. "It's a little hard." She paused and looked out the window, her hands moving around the dashboard restlessly. "When I got home from the hospital that night, I was half expecting to see Gerald there to greet me like he always did. And then I remembered what happened…" Terry sighed and ran a hand through her hair agitatedly. Suddenly her voice dropped, and was shaking slightly, "I got a call from his daughter yesterday. She… she asked me how I was. I couldn't answer her properly. I felt like I couldn't even talk to her. And I'm an FBI agent! Every day I talk to people who have lost loved ones in the most horrifying of ways, and I… I've been in a situation many times where people have died beside me, so… why is this different? I don't understand; for the last four days I've been trying to analyze…"

"Hey… There's nothing to analyze, Terry." Don met her eyes deliberately, once they had reached a red light. "You went through something traumatic… and just because you're with the FBI, it doesn't mean that it was something you were supposed to go through and still understand the reasons behind why it happened. You were very brave. You were outnumbered five to one and didn't lose your head once. Yes, someone died trying to protect you, and it was terrible that he was killed like that. But you must not feel guilty for that because _it's not your fault_. Chambers' was the cold blooded killer that night, not you."

The light turned green and Don turned away from her slowly. Terry felt tears prickling in her eyes and wiped them away before he saw them. But then she remembered something, and she touched his arm lightly before saying, "Don..? I- I've been meaning to thank you for a while, but I never really managed to say it properly. So I'll just say it now... I want to thank you, for finding them… and me. I don't really remember much from that afternoon, but… I remember hearing your voice from outside that van and I also remember feeling so glad that you were there. I knew that you, of all people, would get me out of there alive."

Don gripped the steering a little harder and bit his lip. _I wish I could have been as sure as you were…_ "It wasn't all me, Terry. We had almost thirty agents working on this case and digging up everything they could on Chambers and his men. And of course Charlie was inspiring. He did so much. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to narrow down the warehouses and it would have taken a much longer period to find you."

"Yes, I know." Terry was smiling slightly now. "But I also know you. I've talked to Charlie, and I've thanked him already. Your brother is a lot wiser than he pretends to be. He told me how much you did to try and find them. I've seen you at the office, Don… I know that when you're wrapped up in a case you don't let anything distract you. And I'm glad you got wrapped up in my case. Just… just let me thank you, Don."

Don didn't know what to say in reply. He just shook his head good naturedly and swung into the car park of his apartment building, his head spinning. He felt his stomach churn uncomfortably as Terry patted his arm gently as sat back in her seat. Don knew that he needed to talk to her- at least he could try to stop being such a wuss and tell her how he felt about her.

_It's not that easy…_ His inner child whined.

But it had to be done. He couldn't let his feelings for her jeopardize his performance at work. That would just be dangerous for both of them. Don knew he needed to face it, now or never.

Terry had been to Don's apartment a million times in the past. She had sat on his sofa doing paperwork until midnight. They had run over interviews with suspects and witnesses over his dining table over the weekend. And sometimes, after wrapping up a big case… they would celebrate with chocolate ice cream and a beer each, and maybe even watch a movie of Terry's choice. This felt a lot like that, and she wasn't about to complain. It was nice spending time with Don again, feeling relaxed and unstressed.

She followed him into the kitchen, stopping her cheerful stroll suddenly when she realized how tense Don was. He was still chewing on his bottom lip, and had a strange faraway look in his eyes. Terry could almost _see_ the speed at which his mind was racing. She opened the cupboards where she knew the bowls were kept and pulled out two, not taking her eyes off her partner. Something was not right.

&&&&

_This is ridiculous! I'm a grown man; I can at least try to talk to her and not waste time like the moron I'm acting like now. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? _

_Well… She could reject me. Or run out of here screaming. _He glanced at Terry, who was taking the bowls out of the cupboard and looking at him curiously. Knowing that she could practically read his tension, Don stopped biting his lip and pulled the ice cream container out of the freezer. _But I don't want her to reject me. What we had was so good… _

"Here." Don tried to snap out of his daze as he handed her the ice cream and opened the drawer where a few (hopefully) clean spoons were dumped. He could feel Terry's eyes staring at the back of his head, wondering why he was so nervous. Then he heard her sigh and turn around to open the box of ice cream. _Well, she is a profiler… eventually she's going to figure out what's wrong. _

_It's now or never. _

Don wasn't really quite sure what made him do it, but as soon as her back was turned, he pressed the 'on' button on the radio sitting on his kitchen counter. _Damn! Wasn't thinking…_ Alarm bells started to go off in his head, but it was too late to react. Don quickly did an about face before she caught him gawking at her. A soulful voice instantly poured out from the speakers, and to his surprise, Terry turned around and smiled at him.

"Hey… This is my favourite song."

&&&&

_This is my favourite song._

She almost whispered the words… she was so scared that if she spoke any louder the magic would be gone and she wouldn't be in Don's apartment, with him looking right at her with that strange expression in his amazing brown eyes. It was as though the whole world had melted away when he moved closer to her and took her hands in his. It almost as though this was meant to happen… like they were meant to be this way a long time ago.

… _I need you in my arms, need you to hold,  
You're my world, my heart, my soul,  
If you ever leave,  
Baby you would take away everything good in my life, _

And tell me now  
How do I live without you?  
I want to know,  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go

_How do I ever, ever survive?_

Before she knew it… before her mind could think of the millions of reasons why she should pull away, Don had wrapped his arms around her waist, and her hands had found her way around his neck. It had been such a long time since she danced with anyone. He pulled her close, so close that their bodies were just touching. Terry knew that he didn't want to push her into anything that made her uncomfortable. She had to make the next move, didn't she? Her mind was blissfully blank, not thinking about the past or the future. It was fixed on the present, and the fact that when she allowed herself to lean onto this man, that he did not pull away.

_Without you,  
There'd be no sun in my sky,  
There would be no love in my life,  
There'd be no world left for me.  
And I,  
Baby I don't know what I would do,  
I'd be lost if I lost you,  
If you ever leave,  
Baby you would take away everything real in my life…  
_

Her voice was caught in her throat. _Where have you been, Don? _He had moved his head slightly, so that his breath just tickled the side of her head. As they swayed slowly across Don's kitchen floor, Terry felt his arms unravel from her waist and glide upwards to her face. She knew that she was trembling, but she couldn't stop it. Terry didn't feel frightened- she just didn't want to screw up the magic. She had almost forgotten what his touch had felt like, but to her it was more amazing than ever. His thumb stroked her cheek tenderly, and she was surprised to feel that his hands were shaking as well.

"Terry…" he whispered into her ear, the sound of his voice making her shiver. Terry's eyes were closed- she didn't want to open them and realise that it was all a dream. "I never forgot… what we had. And I'll never forget it. We had so much together…"

She drew away from him gently, slowly meeting his eyes. "I know." Don kept his hands on her face, but his thumb had shied away from her cheek. In his eyes she saw what she needed to see- that same Don whom she loved ten years ago, and who loved her back, with his tenderness and his loyalty and his trust. They had both changed, that was true… but some things about them had remained the same. Like how much they still loved each other. "I remember everything."

"I…" He stopped and bent down slowly to plant a hesitant kiss on her forehead. His voice was had dropped to a whisper. "I wasn't sure. But I need to be sure now. I can't let you go back to him, Terry. He may be your husband, but he can't love you like I do. I was such an idiot to have let you go after we left the Academy. Back then, I didn't realise how much being with you meant to me. But now I do… and I can't let you go again. It was killing me, when you were kidnapped, because I kept thinking that… that I might lose you and it would all be over for me…"

"But you didn't lose me." Terry said suddenly, putting a finger on his lips to silence him. "And now look where we are. I _never_ stopped loving you, Don And I never will. Even if I go home tonight and you tell me that you don't love me anymore… that won't change anything. Because right now, all that matters to me is that we're together."

"But I love you." He said it really quickly, stumbling over the words. Then he took a deep breath and tried again. "I love you."

&&&&

_Oh God, she thinks I'm an idiot. I can't even say three words properly. _Don felt like he was going to break out in sweat any minute now. _She said that she never stopped loving me. She said that she loves me. She loves me. She loves me…_

_Don't leave, Terry! I love you._

But Don's brain was already too far gone for him to try saying 'I love you' for the third time. Terry's face had broken into the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen, and he couldn't resist when she pulled his face down towards hers. His knees had turned to jelly, and his mind was a million miles away.

When their lips met, it was like a surge of electricity passed through his body. Don drew her closer, letting himself forget just for that night, that she was his partner… and there were rules against this sort of thing. Because right then, with one kiss, they had flown ten years back in time, back to the Academy. Back to the time before either of them knew heartbreak, or grief, or betrayal… and all they remembered was everything wonderful that they felt when they were together.

And by the time they pulled apart, breathless and flushed, the ice cream that Terry had scooped into one bowl had melted into a brown, sticky puddle; quite forgotten. As much as he tried, Don couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face. He knew that Terry could see how idiotic he looked, but right then, it didn't matter. _She loves me. She loves me. _He couldn't think of anything else.

And fortunately for him, neither could she.

TBC

Have I kept everyone happy? I hope that everyone enjoyed Chapter 11 because it took quite a while to be finalized… Anyway, please drop me a review and tell me what you think!

The song lyrics used in this chapter are from the Lee Ann Rimes song 'How do I Live'. I am in no way affiliated with her so... I would just like to say that it's a really romantic song and that I'm just borrowing it for that purpose. Thank you!


	12. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. Ah well… we can't all have everything.**

The epilogue! Amazing! And I didn't think I'd carry on after the third chapter… It's all thanks for my wonderful readers and reviewers for your support and encouragement. Anyway, this is the last chapter sniffle so please enjoy!

_Sometimes I wake up in the morning and forget what has happened. I shuffle a bit to kick off the sheets and then… I realize that there's someone sleeping beside me. I turn around slowly, afraid that it's a dream, but then she looks up at me with those exquisite eyes and blinks sleepily. Suddenly it hits me why I woke up with a smile on my face, and why I haven't had a single nightmare in the last four years. And only because it's so incredibly tempting, I let my fingers run through her soft blonde hair just to watch the smile come over her face. _

_And of course there are days when she's up before me, and on those days, I yawn and stretch to the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. It draws me out of bed like bees to a hive. I stumble into the kitchen slowly, scratching the stubble on my chin, listening to someone humming with the radio on the counter. And when I walk in, she's always there, putting food on a table set for two, her hair tied in a hurried yet adorable ponytail. Then she smiles; and it's not long before I realize that I'm smiling back at her._

_But it wasn't easy at all to get this far. Terry and I were both in need of a committed relationship; and we knew that we had to change the lives that we led if we wanted to be together. And we were prepared to do just that. We both knew that we had put off our relationship for far too long. I had been willing to do pretty much anything, but as it turned out, I wasn't really the one who had to make the toughest decisions. _

_&&&&_

_It was about two days after Terry and I had (once again) decided to become 'romantically involved' when her husband showed up at her door. I was there just going over some paperwork with her, and although we were planning to have dinner in town later, it would have looked pretty much like a work visit. He was surprised to see me there, however. Terry told me that she hadn't been answering his calls since she had been released from the hospital… but she couldn't possibly avoid answering his request forever. We both knew that eventually they would have to talk face to face. _

_He turned up that with flowers- red roses, just the kind she liked. And he was dressed well. I had remembered how much she loved the roses I gave her one Valentine's Day when we were at the Academy, and now I recall how I felt a kind of stabbing jealousy when I saw him holding her favorite flowers. Terry seemed frozen when she saw him, her hand stuck on the doorknob. She hadn't known what to say to him, and apparently he had the same problem. _

_I had been sitting at her table, reading over a report when he came. He said 'hi' in a slightly confused tone of voice, and kept shifting glances between Terry and me like we were conspirators against him or something. I looked to Terry to say something, but she seemed petrified, afraid to say the wrong thing. After a while, the silence made me extremely uncomfortable, and I quickly stepped in, "Hey there, do you remember me? I'm Terry's partner. We were just running through some paperwork. Would you like to come in and have a drink?"_

_Terry's husband snapped out of his surprise very quickly, and somehow managed to give me a grateful smile. "Sure, why not?" He stepped into the apartment hesitantly and pulled off his coat, silently taking in his surroundings. "You have a very nice place, Terry." He said in a cordial voice, cautiously looking at her standing beside him. She was holding the flowers and still had one hand on the doorknob. Her face was blank, but I knew that she was struggling to hold down her emotions. _

_Although all I had really wanted to do was kick Terry's husband out of her home, I knew that she needed to sort things out with him in a respectable way. I moved forward and took the flowers out of Terry's arms slowly, hoping that she would jerk back to life. She did, as soon as I squeezed her arm gently, and tried valiantly to return her husband's smile. _

"_Thank you." Terry said, as she wandered to the kitchen and starting pulling out cups and plates, "Would you like some coffee?"_

_I had wandered to the corner of her living area, where the table was still covered with our confidential reports, to place the flowers in an empty vase that Terry had on a side table. I knew that Terry loved flowers, but hardly had time to enjoy them in her own home. I remember thinking that her husband had been good to remember what kind of flowers she liked. But even though he was making a big effort now to make her move back in with him, I was completely against his intentions. I wasn't willing to let him break her heart again._

_It was strange. I thought that he seemed to be a pretty good guy. The protective and possessive part of me that wanted Terry all to myself still wanted to hate him, however. _

"_Don?" Terry's voice called me from the kitchen. "Would you like a cup?" I looked at the pile of papers on the table and sighed. I couldn't be there when she and her husband wanted to talk- they needed to work things out by themselves, and I would be an uncomfortable listener. I wanted to be with Terry so much, but for that to happen; she needed to speak with her husband about their marriage. And soon… _

"_No, that's alright Terry." I said, picking up the papers and stuffing them into the box that I had brought with me. "I'm going over to see Charlie for a bit. He's a little worried about his teaching evaluations that he'll receive tomorrow morning. These papers can wait till tomorrow, or later tonight if you're free."_

_When I walked back out into the kitchen, Terry and her husband were seated on opposite ends of her dining table, each holding a mug of steaming coffee in their hands. They were both trying to avoid looking at each other, whilst at the same time they were hoping that the other would actually say something to ease their discomfort. _

_Eventually her husband spoke, but his words were addressed to me, as I was picking up my jacket and was about to make my way out. "I'm flying back to Washington tomorrow." He said to me, in a tone that made it seem as though it hadn't really hit him how soon he was leaving LA. "I've got an early flight. So I guess I'll see you sometime… if I ever come here again."_

"_Yeah," I stepped forward and shook his hand, was surprised to find that I didn't feel waves of hate spewing towards him. In all honesty, he was just a regular guy who made a big mistake many years ago, and now he was paying for it. He didn't deserve Terry. And she didn't deserve to be hurt by him again. My insides clenched as I realized that he was in her apartment trying to bring Terry back to Washington with him. And I couldn't do a thing about that. Strictly speaking, it wasn't my business. "See you, and have a safe flight… See you, Terry."_

_Terry didn't say anything but nodded at me understandingly, knowing the reason why I was leaving. She didn't get up when I walked out the door, but before I closed it, I heard her speaking in a very still voice, "Tom… I know I've been putting this off for a long time, but we really need to talk…"_

_I went home that night feeling worried that Terry hadn't called me yet. I thought that perhaps they were having a really long talk. I trusted Terry enough to make her own decisions about her marriage and our reformed relationship, but I couldn't trust her husband. That night, I lay on my bed thinking about her, and what my life could be like if I had her in my arms forever._

_The next morning was a Sunday, and I was still technically off work. Merrick practically suspended me from the office the day before; and David was still laughing at how much I didn't want to leave. I just needed to sort out the Chambers' file to make sure that all his crimes would be accounted for. But David was now assigned to that, and I was kicked out of the office. Feeling bored and worried that Terry hadn't called me, I drove to a nearby diner and ordered two take-away coffees and two pancake sets. _

_When I arrived at her apartment, it was still early. Realizing that she was probably still asleep, I used the spare key that she had given me to open her house door. I noted thankfully (and feeling a little guilty that I ever doubted Terry's fidelity) that her husband's coat was gone from the hanger. I stepped in and locked the door behind me, taking in the rinsed cups of coffee drying beside her sink and the empty bottle of beer that was in her trash can. _

_I settled breakfast on the table and wandered into her bedroom, knowing that she wouldn't mind me being there. Terry was wrapped up in her blankets with the heater switched on; and judging the by box of tissues on her bedside table and the number of scrunched up tissues on the floor, I concluded that she must have cried herself to sleep. My heart was constricted just watching her- I couldn't stand to see her so upset. Terry never was upset for no reason. But I was glad that she was there, asleep in her room, instead of in Washington with the man she married so many years ago._

_I took off my coat and shoes and crept into the bed beside her. Terry shifted and opened her eyes, but didn't say a word when she saw me there. I pulled the blankets up to cover us both, and put my arms around her. She sniffled and buried her head into my chest. We were both silent for a few minutes. Terry did not cry, but I could see that she was holding back tears._

"_I feel so stupid." She said, her voice sounding incredibly nasal. I yanked out a tissue and handed it to her. Terry blew her nose and settled her head back on my chest. "I shouldn't be so miserable. We talked, and it was alright… I told him that I couldn't go back to him after… after what he did, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Then he told me he was sorry."_

_I squeezed her shoulder gently, glad to feel her warmth so close to me. Terry blew her nose again and continued. "But I couldn't… I couldn't forgive him. How did he expect me to forgive him? He told me that I could join the FBI office in Washington… and that I could move in with him. He said that he could sort everything out really quickly b-because he wanted us to be together again. And then I couldn't talk. Then he started talking about wanting a family again and I couldn't take it anymore so I… I told him that I was seeing someone else, and that I couldn't go back to him because I could never forgive him." She grasped my hand tightly before blowing her nose again. "And he… he looked at me strangely and he said 'Is it your partner?' I couldn't lie to him, Don… I just couldn't. But he didn't act angry or anything… he just drank up the rest his coffee and told me that he should leave. I didn't stop him."_

_I lay with her until the sun came up and shone brightly through her curtains. I knew that Terry felt guilty that she might have hurt her husband. I wondered how she could be so compassionate. But that was done. A week, Terry flew to Washington to officially annul her marriage. She was quiet for a few days when she returned. However… it was soon after that when we realized that we could actually be a normal couple again._

_And it felt good._

_&&&&_

_About three weeks after Terry's husband flew back to Washington for good, I was sitting in the office going over the report for a fraud case that David and I wrapped up the day before. It wasn't five o' clock yet when my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway, only half paying attention._

"_Don Eppes?" The guy on the other end of the line spoke in a voice that sounded very familiar. "Uh… this is Tom. We-we've met a couple of times before. I… I am, I mean was, Terry's husband."_

_Now that got my attention. I stopped staring at the report and started chewing on my bottom lip. Why was he calling? I wondered. Was something wrong? Did Terry ask him to call? "Oh yeah, hi…" I had no idea what to say. He probably knew that I was aware of when his marriage was annulled, and I didn't want to rub salt on any new wounds. "So… how's Washington?"_

"_It's fine." He paused, and then sighed. "I'm still getting used to it. We went through the annulment so quickly that I almost didn't realize what I was doing. But now I understand… Look, I know Terry's probably told you about why we were separated… and I know that I made a very stupid mistake back then. There's nothing that can excuse me. Terry's a wonderful person; and I was the idiot who made her unhappy for a very long time."_

"_Hold it… Why are you calling?" I couldn't let him beat around the bush with me much longer or else I would burst. I was biting down so hard on my lip that if I pressed any harder, it probably would have bled. _

"_I know that you and Terry are… together." He spoke hesitantly, but in a way that showed that he had planned his words before calling. I could tell that he struggled to get those words out. "And I'm happy for the both of you, really. I- I just called because I wanted to tell you that… that from what I know you're much smarter than me, and that you probably won't make the same stupid mistake that I made. But I'm just telling you- treat her well, and you will be a very happy man... Terry's a special woman, and I was so stupid to let her go. I want her to have a good life now, even if that means I'm not sharing it with her. I called because… I just wanted to ask you to take care of her, and to please keep her happy… She deserves it."_

_My throat was stuck. But before I could answer, I heard the click of the phone being put down on the other end. Tom had hung up, unable to speak to me any longer. In an almost cowardly way, I was relieved. I didn't think that I could say anything to him after that. He did love her; that much was for certain. But we both did something very similar in the past- both of us let Terry go when we had her. He was telling me not to make his mistake, not knowing that I had already made that mistake. The only difference was that I didn't cheat on her._

_The phone call made me even more determined to make things work with Terry. She made me happy, and I wanted to make her happy too. In a weird way, talking to her ex-husband paved the way to marital happiness for us both. _

_Who would have thought?_

_&&&&_

_It's strange sometimes, what cards life throws at you. Like how I keep thinking that Terry's kidnapping was what brought us together, and strengthened my relationship with my brother. I don't think I ever truly understood what went on in that whirring brain of Charlie's until he helped me on that case. I learnt that there was much more to that man than just numbers. He was willing to risk everything to save the life of the woman I loved, and I will always be indebted to him for that. I had always thought that my brother never understood people, because he always avoided social contact whenever he could. But now I realize that that's because Charlie doesn't need to talk to millions of people to know the bare elements of the human psyche. He recognized the basic good and bad in all people, and he was willing to accept all of them as mere variables in an infinitely long equation that we call life._

_About two weeks before Michael Chambers was due to be sentenced for his crimes, which included thirty counts of murder, two counts of abduction, possession of concealed weapons, possession of drugs with intent to sell, ten counts of attempted murder as well as resisting arrest, something quite unexpected occurred. As David informed me a few weeks before, Chambers had been shot in the shoulder and in the spine, and was confined to a bed whilst he recovered from his internal injuries. However, fate dealt him a tough blow. Due to his inability to move, Chambers spent a lot of time each day in the same position, which led to blood clots forming in his arms and legs. After a while, the clots prevented blood from flowing from his extremities back to his heart. Although the doctors tried everything to save him, Michael Chambers died soon after from cardiac arrest. I still think it's kind of ironic how the doctors were doing the right thing by trying to save their patient, who happened to be a psychopathic killer who took thirty lives. _

_Needless to say, his death came as quite a shock to all of us. Even though the state was planning to stick a needle into his arm anyway, it seemed a little unfortunate that Chambers died before he was officially sentenced for his crimes. I didn't believe that he should have such an easy way out, but Terry was the one who told me that he got what he deserved. Even though Chambers hit her, kidnapped her, murdered a man she cared about, and shot at her co-workers, Terry wasn't bitter about what happened to her. It took a while, but a day came when she accepted the terrible ordeal that she went through. Strangely enough, I took a lot longer to come to terms with it. I guess that just shows the difference between Terry and me. _

_Steve Hunter was the only man in Chambers' gang who survived the raid. He recovered as the doctors predicted, and was soon able to walk again. Hunter was sentenced three weeks after Chambers' death for fifteen counts of murder, three counts of abduction, possession of a concealed weapon, and burglary- just to name a few. He was killed by lethal injection a few months later. _

_Those events keep playing through my head like an old movie that I watch over and over- some of the characters keep getting blurrier the more I watch the movie, some voices are slowly drowned out, and some scenes no longer seem important. Yet, there are always the classic moments that stay with you forever: the support that you get when all hope seems diminished, the beautiful heroine who was saved from certain death, and the end, there's always a happy ending. The part where everyone gets weepy and you're sure it sounds so good that it could never happen to you. _

_But I got my beautiful heroine, and the happy ending was ours to share... _

_So I guess some fairy tales do come true after all._

_&&&&_

_Terry was due to return to the office a two months after she was released from the hospital, but we both knew that we could not be lovers and continue being partners. It would be dangerous for both of us; being personally involved with each other might affect our judgment on the field and we didn't want to take that kind of risk. It took quite a bit of talking and even more hard thinking, but in the end, Terry decided that she would resign from the FBI. It was a mutual decision, although I felt a little guilty that she had to give up her job for the sake of our relationship. But of course, life dealt us another unexpected surprise._

_Terry started having morning sickness three weeks after her resignation. She had been looking for another job, and had a few interviews scheduled for the weeks ahead. We both dismissed it for food poisoning or something general like that and didn't really pay much attention to her daily nausea until it went on unfailingly for two weeks. Terry went to the doctor, where she was given anti-nausea pills and a pregnancy test. She did the test, and realized ten seconds later that she was pregnant._

_Four weeks pregnant to be precise, according to the doctor. I couldn't believe it. I was going to be a father, and Terry a mother. It seemed way too good to be true. But amazingly enough, it was true. We told my dad and Charlie our news one night after dinner at my childhood home, and I remember seeing my father's jaw practically drop to the ground. Charlie was speechless for a very long time. Terry and I could not stop laughing at them. We were so happy._

_Of course my father insisted that we marry soon. He was ecstatic about the idea of officially having grandchildren, but wanted us to get married before the child was born._ _We were planning to marry anyway, so we just pushed the date a few months earlier._ _Throughout our discussion, Charlie hid away in his basement and emerged about two hours later with some very long and very complicated equations that would determine the probable genetic makeup of our baby. Dad looked at him as though he was daft, but I knew that that was his way of showing Terry and I that he was happy for us._

_We had a small wedding at a church near Charlie's house. I have so many photos from that day, but the best photos are the ones I took in my head. Terry wore a simple silk gown, strapless and white, that hugged her eight-weeks-pregnant body beautifully. I wore my suit, the one that I usually hated to wear but was incredibly willing to put it on that day. I wanted everything to be perfect. And it was. We invited just a few people- Dad, Charlie, Amita, Larry, Terry's parents and her brother, David, Merrick (who showed up, surprisingly enough), and a few mutual friends from the Academy. Charlie gave a speech that made everyone's eyes just a little misty. Somehow or other he managed to throw in an equation or two that he had used to calculate how happy we would be in our married life. I hope he wasn't lying when he said that the numbers showed that we would be the happiest couple on earth. But I doubt he was. Charlie can't tell a lie to save his life._

_After the wedding, Terry moved into my apartment. We both knew that eventually we would have to get a bigger place, what with the baby due in seven months. Luckily the two of us had enough money stowed away after working for ten years and living alone for most of that time. We used some of our savings to purchase a house near Charlie's place. It was a lot like the house I grew up in, but with a slightly smaller garden and of course, no blackboards in the basement. _

_It was like a dream come true._

_&&&&_

_Terry was five months pregnant when she finally found a new job that she knew she'd be happy with. She had had enough action with the FBI and was looking forward to a quieter occupation, with no incredibly stressful searches for escaped felons or hardened criminals stalking her. So she chose to use her psychology degree for a slightly more hands-on purpose. Charlie and Larry helped, actually, to bump her up the interview list at CalSci. Not that it was really necessary. After the dean and other professors heard of Terry's extensive experience dealing with psychological disorders, they practically hired her on the spot to fill the position of college counsellor. However I think her training and ability to handle potentially violent individuals might have played a part in the ease in which she received her new employment. _

_Terry started work two weeks after her interview, and was pleasantly surprised to find how much she enjoyed her new profession. She met with Charlie and Larry for lunch every working day, and her new job was another thing that made me closer to my younger brother. The students found her very approachable, and so did members of staff. Terry was very happy with her position, and was just a little sad when she was told she had to take a month off before our baby was due. She is such a tiny lady, and when her belly started to seriously expand she looked a little out of proportion. _

_I remember the day our daughter arrived so clearly it seemed like it happened just the day before. It was quite a day. It was a particularly hot summer's afternoon, and I had been waiting outside an interrogation room where David was trying to lead a suspect to a confession. So far it looked like everything was going according to plan. The man sitting opposite David was sweating and shooting worried looks to his attorney with every statement that was sent his way. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was half past six. Well, once we got the confession we could hand over to the LAPD and look forward to the weekend off. We had spent a lot of time on the case, and everyone in the office was anxious for some well-deserved personal time._

_It must have been the second that our suspect said "Alright, alright! I'll tell you what happened…" when my cell phone rang. I answered it quickly, thinking that maybe it was the LAPD detective who helped us arrest the perspiring man inside the interrogation room. But to my surprise, it was my brother who had called me. He told me that he and Amita were on the way to the hospital with Terry, and that she was having some serious contractions. I remember my mind going completely blank the moment he spoke. I looked back into the interrogation room and saw David switching the tape recorder off. He had gotten the confession, and our suspect was being handcuffed, the sweat still pouring down his forehead. David had a manic grin on his face. _

_Someone was calling my name but I was in a daze. A few seconds had passed before I realised that Charlie was still on the phone. I said "I'll be there in a minute" before hanging up. I ran off to my desk, and grabbed my jacket. I recall pulling David aside and telling him that Terry was in labour and I would have to leave. I drove to the hospital like a crazy man, probably abusing my authority as an FBI agent and breaking every traffic law in the books. I wouldn't recommend doing that to any other potential fathers. I ran up to the reception, breathless, and asked for Terry. The receptionist saw my badge and gun and assumed immediately that I was there on FBI business. She yelled for a nurse to show me to the floor where Terry was in labour. I didn't bother to correct her error; I just rushed along with the nurse._

_By the time I reached the room, I was sure my brain had fried from overwork. Charlie and Amita were standing outside with nervous expressions on their faces. Both opened their mouths to say something to me at the same time, but before the words could come out; there was the sound of wailing coming from inside the room. All of us froze, including the nurse._

_The rest, as we say, is history. My daughter, Lindsey Amelia Eppes, was born on the hottest day of summer four years ago, on the same day that the Los Angeles FBI arrested the men responsible for the biggest fraud case in California in over twenty years. _

_What an amazing day that was. _

_&&&&_

_So now I'm half-asleep, lying down beside my wife of almost five years, watching the sun rise through our yellow curtains. It's a cold day, which is why she's snuggled deep in the blankets, her hands on my chest. Terry's still asleep, although she will wake up soon when I climb off the bed to get ready for work. She always gets up to make me breakfast._

_About two weeks ago, a suspect on the run took a shot at me during a raid. Luckily for me the shot came from about fifteen feet away and I was wearing a Kevlar vest. I just got a bruise where the bullet made impact, but when one of my co-workers called Terry at CalSci to tell her that I had been shot, she almost had a heart attack. A few phone calls later she found out that although a bullet hit me, I was barely hurt. It was a scare, nonetheless, and we both knew that we had to expect more of these scares. Even when Terry and I worked on the field together we were frightened for each other's safety. I suppose the fear was magnified now because we could no longer actively protect each other at work, and we had a child to worry about. _

_I touched Terry's face gently, enjoying the feel of her arms around me. I didn't want her to worry about me continuously when I was at work, although I knew she would. That was part of being with the FBI. I wondered how Dad and Charlie handled their anxiety when I first started with Billy Cooper in Fugitive Recovery. I almost never saw them because I was on the road every day. But now I'm glad that I've settled down with Terry, and with our daughter. My life wouldn't have been complete without them._

_So this morning I run my hand down her cheek slowly, seeing her eyes open and sparkle at me. Sometimes I still can't believe how I managed to marry the most incredible woman in LA. I still remember that night at my apartment, when I lured her there with promises of chocolate ice cream and we ended up dancing the night away to old romantic songs. That was the turning point in my life. Terry helped me to remember what I cherished most._

_Lindsey is a great kid. She's four now, and seems to be showing some Charlie-ish abilities at math. A few days ago, I saw her writing some huge numbers down on paper and multiplying them together in her head. A huge sense of deja vu hit me when I watched her multiply 34543 with 23433 mentally, and I suddenly remembered how my three year old brother was able to do my junior school math homework. I called Charlie that night and made him come over to assess the situation. Terry laughed and said that I looked faint when I heard such large numbers coming out of my daughter's mouth. But it's alright. I have Charlie to guide her, and hopefully she won't notice that her father is a complete bum at math._

_Speaking of which… a small figure appears at our doorway, holding a small stuffed animal in her hand and wearing her Winnie the Pooh pajamas. Lindsey inherited Terry's blonde hair, but she has my eyes. She scrambles on the bed as quick as her little legs can carry her and pushes her teddy bear into my face. _

"_Hello," Lindsey says, snuggling in between her parents. "I'm hungry, Daddy." She says, giving me the most adorable puppy-dog look in the world. Terry shifts off my chest and strokes Lindsey's hair affectionately._

"_Alright, I'll get you some breakfast, Lin." I tickle her until she falls off the bed laughing and push the blankets off me and onto Terry. "Run off to the kitchen and I'll see you there." _

_Lindsey giggles and skips out of the room. I can't hide my smile as I bent over Terry and give her a kiss, slipping my hand underneath the quilt to rub her rapidly growing bump. We hadn't decided yet when to tell Lindsey that she might soon have a younger brother or sister, but it could wait a few more weeks._

"_I'll see you for dinner." I say, and give her another quick kiss before hopping off the bed. Terry smiles at me and pulls the blankets over herself. I steal one last glance at her before heading into the bathroom, a smile plastered on my unshaven face. _

_I brush my teeth and look at the man in the mirror, who's staring back as me. He's almost forty, has worry lines on his forehead as well as laughter lines next to his eyes. I shake my head and continue brushing my teeth, thinking-_

_I am living in my very own fairy tale._

_**END**_

THE END! Sob and sniffle and tear and weep and all those words that describe crying… I'm actually really sad to finally end this story. I hope that everyone enjoyed it thoroughly! This chapter took a really long time to be finished because I kept on writing and re-writing bits to make it as close to what I wanted as possible. I really hope that everyone likes how the story turned out!

Well I don't currently have any story ideas for fanfiction and I probably won't write until I get one and plan it for a while. So if anyone has any great story outlines maybe they could share?

For now… the story More than meets the eye and the author microcurie say 'goodbye!' to all the wonderful readers and reviewers. It's truly been a pleasure writing my first fanfic!

And before I finally stop rambling… I'd just like to thank everyone again for their support! So… THANK YOU ALL READERS AND REVIEWERS! You guys really make my day.

Microcurie


End file.
